The relationship between interior and exterior space, the building's orientation, natural ventilation, light, control of direct sunlight and the penetration of greenery into the building were among the design and construction team's aims for the project. The site lies in an underdeveloped area between Old Mahshahr and a residential zone known as the Industrial District.
The client's brief called for a complex comprising a restaurant, separate women's and men's banquet halls, and an industrial kitchen with a daily capacity of 2,500 meals. The site was split into two parts: the eastern portion, by virtue of its adjacency to the main streets and the convenient access it allowed, was assigned to the building, while the western portion was used for the required parking and as a possible reserve plot for a further complex. The main building was therefore set on an east–west axis facing north, which produces triangular spaces at the corners of the site. To the south an appropriate entry plaza opens to the complex; to the north, the restaurant garden makes night life in the open air possible.
Seeking to create a transparent project in which building and site interlock, the structure is generated by the collision of perpendicular strips cut from four directions. The voids opened between these strips allow daylight in, give a suitable cross-ventilation, and so make possible a green court at the centre of the project.
After the severe inflation of 1392 (2013–14), the costs ahead diverged sharply from the initial estimate. Forced to cut expenses, the design team decided that, rather than purchase certain required products, they would design hand-made details and then build them — among them frameless windows. In the layout and interior-design phase too, much of the furniture was designed and built in-house. Throughout the project, the team relied on the engineering knowledge of the supervisors and made use of local labour.
Bandar Mahshahr has a hot and humid climate in which the air temperature can reach 60°C on the hottest day of the year and humidity 90%; like many parts of Iran, it is not spared from dust storms in some seasons. Despite its proximity to major economic poles of the country (the Bandar Imam Petrochemicals Special Economic Zone, the Majidiyeh export port, and so on) and the constant flow of domestic and foreign visitors, the city is poorly served by leisure and tourism facilities. The presence of spaces such as DA Banquet Hall and Restaurant can therefore play a real role in raising the quality of life for the city's residents.
Today, beyond its fixed function, the complex hosts many cultural and artistic events — book launches by Mahshahr authors, photography and painting workshops, and the like.
