Programming an‎d Design of the Abadan Oil Industry Garden Museum

12/22/2025 12:00:00 AM

The oil industry in Iran is recognized not only as the backbone of economic development but also as an identity-shaping element in the country’s contemporary history, particularly in oil-producing cities. The city of Abadan, as the first center for the establishment of oil refineries an‎d related industrial infrastructures, possesses valuable historical, cultural, an‎d social layers, much of which have been neglected over time. The present study aims to program an‎d design the Abadan Oil Industry Coastal Garden Museum by reinterpreting this industrial heritage an‎d representing it through a narrative-oriented architectural approach. This research employs a descriptive–analytical method with a combined qualitative an‎d case-study approach. In the first stage, the theoretical foundations related to three main axes—museum programming, the relationship between form an‎d content, an‎d narrative in design—are presented. In the second stage, domestic an‎d international case studies of industrial an‎d narrative-based museums are comparatively examined in order to analyze their programs an‎d governing narratives an‎d to extract appropriate patterns for developing the physical program, narrative scenario, an‎d spatial organization. The findings indicate that designing museums through a narrative-oriented approach can establish a connection between the historical ups an‎d downs of oil production an‎d trade an‎d the contemporary experience of the audience, transforming circulation into a form of spatial storytelling through spatial organization. Within this framework, the Oil Industry Coastal Garden Museum is designed as a platform for presenting the processes of oil exploration, refining, an‎d export. In addition to representing Abadan’s industrial history, it accommodates cultural, educational, an‎d tourism functions. Ultimately, the use of a coherent programming model an‎d narrative-based design can facilitate the creation of a dynamic, multi-layered, an‎d experiential museum—one that not only preserves Iran’s industrial heritage but also contributes to strengthening urban identity an‎d promoting cultural tourism in Abadan.

برنامه دهي موزه , طراحي روايت محور , باغ موزه صنعت نفت , شهرآبادان

Museum programming , narrative-based design , oil industry garden museum , Abadan City

fatemeh shahabi fard

mahdi hamzeh nejad