Memar Award

Report on the Organization of the Grand Memar Award 80

Jury Members, Judging Process, Results, and Deliberations

Memar 15 · Winter 1380 / January 2002

Jury Members

Kamran Afshar Naderi — Member of the board of directors of Memar Nashr Institute and the editorial board of Memar magazine. Graduate of architecture from Italy. Over 25 years of professional experience in architecture and collaboration with notable firms. Six years of teaching at Azad University, Tehran. Author of more than 60 articles on architecture, published in Iran, Italy, England, Switzerland, and the United States. Six years of experience in management and supervision of executive projects. Multiple research projects for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Tehran and Tabriz municipalities, and the Cultural Heritage Organization.

Mohsen Mirheydar — MA in Architecture from the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran (1963), and M.Phil. in Urban Planning and Design from the Architectural Association, London (1965–1971). Professional experience as design architect, project manager, and deputy managing director at consulting firms of Amir-Nosrat Moftah, Youssef Shariat-zadeh and Associates, and Bonyan Consulting Engineers (until 1981); managing director of Pirraz Consulting Engineers (from 1983). Member of the National Building Regulations Committee (1992–1994), member of the commission for reviewing and regulating the country's technical and construction system (1994–1998), founding member of the Society of Consulting Engineers and the Architects' Association. Fellow of the Architectural Association, London (AAA).

Mohammadreza Joudat — Graduate of architecture from the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University (formerly National University). Co-founder and director of Qandriz Gallery (Iran), with continuous activity in the visual arts and architecture (1964–1978). Faculty member at Shahid Beheshti University (from 1975). Co-founder of Shahrbod Consulting Engineers (1973–1984) and founder of Mohammadreza Joudat and Associates (from 1983). Publisher of four volumes in the series of collected essays on architecture and urban planning (1990s). Former editor-in-chief of the journal Architecture and Urban Planning (1995–2000) and owner and editor of the quarterly Iranian Architecture (from 1999).

Iraj Kalantari — Graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts (1963). Professional experience at the Technical Bureau of the Ministry of Interior as head of the Urban Renovation and Development Office, representative of the Ministry of Interior on the Technical Committee of the Supreme Council of Urban Planning, private practice at Kalantari and Associates (until 1971), and director at Bavand Company (from 1971 onward). Teaching experience at universities including the University of Tehran, Iran University of Science and Technology, and Azad University. Active member of professional associations from their founding, including the Society of Consulting Engineers, the Architects' Association, and the Society of Architect Consultants.

Bahram Shirdel — BArch from the University of Toronto (1979) and MArch from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Michigan (1982). Winner of top positions and diplomas of honor in international competitions (1979–1996). Work experience with AKS-RUNO (1987–1990), Shirdel and Kipnis (1991–1994), and managing director of Shirdel and Associates Consulting Engineers (from 1997). Teaching experience at the Architectural Association, London; Southern California Institute of Architecture; Harvard University; Ohio State University; University of Illinois; University of Houston.

Judging Process

The jury convened several preliminary sessions before judging began to review the scope and diversity of the entries, how the Grand Memar Award differs from a design competition, and the methodology of judging. Over three sessions held with the director of the Memar Nashr Institute, the program and methodology were established.

Judging commenced on Azar 28 (December 19, 2001), the day immediately after the submission deadline, and continued for several days. The initial sessions were held at the House of Artists due to the large number of entries and the need for a spacious venue. The final sessions for ranking first through fifth place were held at the Memar Nashr Institute. All five jurors participated in all sessions.

A total of 155 works participated in the Grand Memar Award 80. Through multiple rounds of review:

First, all works were reviewed with sufficient care. Each juror announced works of relative merit for the next round. Works were eliminated by unanimous vote over several rounds, reducing 155 entries to 29 works in the second stage. The jury considered this collection of 29 works a representation of good non-governmental architecture of the past five years.

In the third stage, each juror selected their five preferred works without ranking. Given overlapping and divergent preferences, 13 works advanced. After further discussion, 7 finalists remained:

1. NIPCO Factory in Eshtehard — Arash Mozaffari and Mehrdad Golmohammadi
2. Office Building in Tehran — Shamil Mohammadzadeh
3. Rafsanjan Sports Complex — Hadi Mirmiran
4. Bar Association Building in Tehran — Hadi Mirmiran
5. Two Houses for Two Friends in Gonbad — Firouz Firouz
6. Art and Furniture Gallery in Tehran — Reza Daneshmir
7. Book City in Tehran — Shahriar Izadi

Each juror then assigned scores from 7 (highest) to 1 (lowest) for the 7 finalists:

Juror	Firouz	Mirmiran (Sports)	Daneshmir	Izadi	Mozaffari	Mohammadzadeh	Mirmiran (Bar)
Mirheydar	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
Shirdel	4	7	3	1	5	2	6
Kalantari	5	7	4	1	6	3	2
Joudat	7	2	3	5	3	6	1
Afshar Naderi	6	3	6	1	4	5	2
TOTAL	29	25	21	12	21	18	12

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Results

1st Place: Two Houses for Two Friends — Firouz Firouz (Gonbad-e Kavus)

Ability to create architecture that is unassuming yet with distinction
The hierarchy of transition from public to private space
The architect's attention to small urban projects in shaping city architecture
Creating a credible alternative against the fashions of the market

2nd Place: Cultural-Sports Complex of Rafsanjan — Hadi Mirmiran

A notable response to the desire to continue the vision of Iranian architecture
Successful synthesis of modern technology with traditional forms
Achieving a purity beyond function — elevating walls, conical ceilings, and sloped surfaces to the level of pure architectural expression
The novel idea of two reciprocal (mirror-image) pools, indoors and outdoors

3rd Place: NIPCO Factory, Eshtehard — Arash Mozaffari & Mehrdad Golmohammadi

A timely and appropriate architectural expression suited to its era
Engaging with an industrial complex to soften the harsh nature of the factory
Unconventional work against market trends, with low cost
Attention to the building envelope through the play of shadow and light
Good detailing

4th Place: Art and Furniture Gallery — Reza Daneshmir (Tehran)

Successful conversion of a disused swimming pool with minimal intervention and modest budget
Transforming the simple rectangular form of the pool into a noteworthy space
Possessing a sense of proportion

5th Place: Office Building, Khaled Eslamboli Street — Shamil Mohammadzadeh (Tehran)

Attention to architecture as an urban element
Correct use of craftsmanship and an exploratory approach
Treatment of the facade through layering and attention to side facades
Successful use of materials and color
Complete detailing

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Jury Deliberations

The following are the discussions and opinions declared about the 7 finalist projects selected from among the 29 remaining works in the competition. These discussions took place over multiple sessions lasting several hours each.

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