Background and Objectives: Tehran’s Toopkhaneh Square, constructed in the mid-reign of Naser al-Din Shah, is one of the capital’s most significant urban spaces and has undergone numerous transformations. The most consequential period of change extends from its formation to the end of Reza Shah’s rule—a period during which the square evolved from a site for the display of military power into a showcase for modernization and the authority of the emerging Pahlavi state. This study aims to interpret these transformations by focusing on the relationship between the state, citizens, and the spatial form of the square, employing the metaphor of the “space as a stage.”
Materials and Methods: This research adopts a historical approach and draws upon a diverse body of sources—including travelogues, memoirs, archival documents, newspapers, and historical images—to reconstruct the square’s trajectory of change. The conceptualization of the “space as a stage” is informed by spatial studies and theories of representation, enabling a multilayered reading of the square as a site of action, representation, and the reproduction of power relations.
Results and Conclusion: The findings indicate that Toopkhaneh Square functioned as a stage reflecting shifts in power relations, spatial organization, and urban life between the Naseri and Reza Shahi periods. Initially established for military purposes, its urban position soon transformed it into a focal point of everyday life. During the Constitutional period, it became a plural and contested arena for the limited experience of public space. Under the Pahlavi state, the square was reconfigured as a stage for authoritarian modernization and the display of centralized power. Yet everyday practices persisted, enabling alternative readings of the official order. This process culminated in two distinct spatial formations: the Naseri Toopkhaneh Square and the Pahlavi Sepah Square. The “space as stage” approach further demonstrates how both material and human actors participate in producing dominant narratives and are redefined through shifts in narrative logic.