Esmaeil Talaei, born in 1945 in Tehran, completed his architectural education in Italy and taught for a period at the Florence Architectural Faculty. He began his professional career in Iran in 1990. Although he has been a faculty member at the Faculty of Art and Architecture at Azad University since 1373 (1994), he entered serious professional activity and established the Talaei Architecture and Urbanism Group, accepting cultural, sport, and residential projects. His first completed project was the Zaferanieh Multi-Purpose Club. His practice has since expanded to include cinema-theaters, sport and cultural complexes, residential villas, and museum renovation. The Zaferanieh Multi-Purpose Club, Baharan Cinema-Theater Complex, Lavasan Residential Villas, Zarafshan Cultural-Sport Complex, and the renovation of Iran-Bastan Museum are introduced in this issue.
Zaferanieh Multi-Purpose Club (1994)
The Zaferanieh Multi-Purpose Club was one of Talaei's first completed projects after returning to Iran. The building houses a variety of recreational and cultural functions within a compact urban site. Talaei's approach to the design was to create a dynamic facade that would engage with the street while maintaining privacy for the interior activities. The use of translucent panels along the main elevation allows natural light to filter into the interior spaces while creating a distinctive visual identity for the building.
The program includes sports facilities, meeting rooms, and social gathering spaces distributed across multiple levels. The architect utilized the height difference across the site to create split-level arrangements that maximize the usable floor area while maintaining visual connections between different activity zones.
Baharan Cinema-Theater Complex (1975)
The Baharan Cinema-Theater Complex, with approximately 950 square meters across two floors, was initially designed by Artasazian. Talaei took over the completion of the project, developing the design, landscape, and interior architecture. The complex includes a cinema hall with seating for approximately 100 spectators, a stage for theatrical performances, and associated support spaces.
The building's most striking feature is its angular exterior form, which creates a dramatic presence on the hillside site. The use of exposed concrete and Corten steel panels gives the building an industrial character that contrasts effectively with the surrounding greenery. The cantilevered main volume, elevated on steel supports, creates a covered outdoor space beneath that serves as a transitional zone between the street and the interior. The interior design emphasizes warm materials including wood paneling on walls and ceiling, creating an intimate atmosphere suitable for both cinema screenings and live performances.
Zarafshan Cultural-Sport Complex (1997)
This complex is located in Shahrak-e Ghods (western Tehran), on Ivanak Boulevard, between Falak and Zarafshan streets, and represents a functional conversion project. Originally a residential unit of approximately 650 square meters, it was transformed into a cultural-sport complex comprising a swimming pool, gym, sauna, and jacuzzi. The swimming pool, sauna, and shower are in the basement; the entrance hall, changing rooms, and management offices are on the ground floor; the gym is on the first floor; and the restaurant and jacuzzi on the mezzanine level.
The multi-level nature of the building and the height differences between floors, which connect them through half-levels, provided the designer with an opportunity to use skylight ceiling lighting and vertical light transfer across all spaces. The idea of illuminating space by making floors and walls transparent has been extended, with oval-shaped glass pools at the entrance completing the design. As in his other projects, Talaei has sought to allow spaces to flow through one another rather than seal them off, blending the advantages of each space to draw the eye from one area to the next. The renovation of the exterior facade was also able to fully reflect the functional change from residential to sports use.
Two Villas in Lavasan
These two villas are located on a 750-square-meter plot in the mountainous landscape of Lavasan, approximately 30 kilometers northeast of Tehran. The design responds to the dramatic topography and sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and the nearby dam. The independent design of each villa reflects a distinct approach to the relationship between architecture and landscape, while maintaining a cohesive vocabulary of materials and forms.
The distinctive barrel-vaulted roofs are among the most notable design features of these two villas. Although independent in their design specifics, each villa shares certain characteristics: a protective shell-like envelope, a neutral facade, and a light, airy interior form. The roofs, made of non-traditional vault structures at 120 degrees, use a combination of columns, beams, and non-traditional vault construction in their structure, resulting in covered open spaces. The use of natural wood, exposed concrete, and industrial glazing creates a modern yet warm material palette. Talaei has used the height variations and split-level arrangements to create dynamic interior spaces that frame views of the surrounding landscape from multiple vantage points.
Renovation of Iran-Bastan Museum (1997)
The primary goal of the renovation and restoration project for the National Museum of Iran (Iran-Bastan Museum) was to organize the existing spaces within the museum complex and adapt them to contemporary needs. The key objectives included: public circulation between the museums, the capability to hold exhibitions in the spaces between museums, reorganization of the National Library space into the museum's National Library, rearrangement of the northern courtyard for restaurant and cafe use during working and non-working hours, direct connection of the northern courtyard of the museum to the courtyard of the National Library, and the annexation of Mo'alem Park to the National Museum of Iran complex to realize the park-museum concept.
The design and renovation of approximately 2,000 square meters of the area between the National Museum of Iran building and the National Library complex was proposed. The renovation maintained deep respect for the original Andre Godard-designed building while introducing contemporary elements that improve visitor circulation and exhibition capabilities. The use of polished stone floors, steel and glass partitions, and carefully designed lighting creates a modern gallery experience within the historic structure. The approach demonstrates Talaei's sensitivity to working within the constraints of a heritage building while significantly improving its functionality for twenty-first century museum use.
Talaei-Izadi Joint Projects
As mentioned in the introduction to the works of Shahrivar Izadi in Memar issue 9, Talaei and Izadi established the Talaei-Izadi firm during the years 1369 to 1372 (1990-1993). The product of their collaboration includes the Payin Rest Complex at Mehrabad Airport and the Vanak Cultural-Sport Complex in Tehran. Both are located on key urban sites and represent cultural-sporting facilities on a grand scale.
The Vanak Cultural-Sport Complex, shown here in two views, represents a synthesis of sports, cultural, and recreational functions within an organic architectural form. The complex's brick facades and curved forms draw on traditional Iranian architectural vocabulary, particularly in the extensive use of Iranian garden principles and the attention to the relationship between built form and landscape. The combination of organic massing, respect for the site's trees, and an environmentally sensitive approach to siting are defining characteristics of this complex.