Journal of Iranian Architecture Studies

Journal of Iranian Architecture Studies

From Eventification to Characterization of Memorial Museums

Document Type : Original

Authors
Faezeh Tafreshi 1
Manoochehr Moazzami 2
Nicholas Wise 3
1 Ph.D. Candidate, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Iran University of Art
2 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planing, Iran University of Art
3 Assistant Professor, School of Community Resources and Development, Arizona State University, USA.
10.22052/jias.2026.258671.1518
Abstract
Place characterization is an attempt by planners and managers to create a distinct and lasting perception of a place, often through recalling memories of past events or emphasizing social values as forms of collective memory. Eventification transforms these social values into narratives that can be articulated and reproduced. In characterizing memorial museums through eventification, efforts aim to transform the museum's core memory into a narratable phenomenon, such as an event. Something becomes narratable when it has occurred and, by virtue of that occurrence, answers when and where it took place. The processes through which places are characterized through eventification differ across memorial museums, as these museums seek to present and communicate experiences, memories, and meanings as means of narration and are not necessarily collections of historically significant and valuable objects and documents. This study clarifies these processes by examining different memorial museums. Using a case-study approach and questionnaire, the study examines visitors’ perceptions of three memorial museums in Tehran—the Museum of the Islamic Revolution and Sacred Defense, Ali Shariati Memorial Museum, and the Valiasr Street Memorial Museum—against a framework derived from research on eventification and place characterization. The findings indicate that eventification, when grounded in a social value connected to people’s memories, creates a narratable, place-specific narrative by reinforcing the other components of an event—time, place, and occurrence—which become embedded in visitors’ minds and are subsequently narrated to others. The foundational component differs among the three cases. In the Museum of the Islamic Revolution and Defa Moghadds, a significant occurrence constitutes the basis of place characterization; in the Ali Shariati Memorial Museum, a significant place serves as the foundation; and in the Valiasr Street Memorial Museum, a historical and temporal trajectory provides the basis. The other components of the event—place, time, and occurrence—are then created or reconstructed around these foundations. Findings on place characterization also reveal that respondents correctly perceive the intended purpose of each memorial museum. The predominance of content over place, which contributes to the narrative's persistence within the place, is clearly evident in respondents' perceptions of the Museum of the Islamic Revolution and Sacred Defense and, to a lesser extent, in those of the Ali Shariati Memorial Museum. However, this predominance is not evident in respondents' perceptions of the Valiasr Street Memorial Museum.
Keywords
Event and Eventification
Place Characterization
Memorial Museums of Tehran
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Journal of Iranian Architecture Studies
Volume 15, Issue 29
September 2026
Pages 253-272