Contemporary Architecture

A Glance at Residential Architecture After the Revolution

Kamran Afshar Naderi · Memar 19 · Winter 1381 / 2002–2003

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The participation of a large group of architects from different generations in the award, more than anything else, demonstrates the institutionalization of this tradition and, more broadly, of cultural architectural competitions at the national level. Given that the good works submitted mostly belong to the last decade, one can clearly observe that the architecture of Iran has undergone a fundamental transformation during these years. A significant portion of the good works submitted come from various parts of the country—northern coastal regions, Shiraz, Isfahan, Mashhad, Kerman, and other cities. Among the participants in the competition, a notable number of young architects are visible, and the quality of their works confirms the reality that economic and cultural investment in architecture in the country should primarily be directed toward the country’s youth.

The collection of works shows considerable progress in the building industry. The works are stylistically diverse, and numerous individual tendencies exist among them. The discussion of diversity has extended to the use of materials as well—compared to the 1980s, material diversity appears to be greater.

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The submitted works generally fall into three main groups: detached villas of one or two units, apartment houses, and large residential complexes. In the design of these buildings, attention has been paid to the question of space. In this regard, one can say that architecture tied to the plan and elevation of the past has, to some extent, shifted toward a more complex architecture in which space is the primary subject. Themes of vernacular architecture are evident in several cases, and due to fresh perspectives, these works are neither repetitive nor obsolete. Some designers have reinterpreted the central courtyard and the room behind the room in a new framework. Some of the outstanding works use architecture as an artistic tool for critiquing prevailing works or as a form of protest. Their work falls within the realm of art and conceptual art. Experiments with inexpensive materials such as concrete blocks and cement plaster, and attempts to valorize them aesthetically, are visible in the works of several architects.

Urban apartment houses are generally burdened by the cumbersome problems of building regulations and urban codes. Despite this issue, some have attempted innovations within the constraints. Several outstanding examples of this group have managed to present new models for the common subject of the apartment house. In some of the works, an effort to create a kind of urban building in harmony with the spirit and history of the city is also visible. The main subjects are: functional-spatial organization of units in a complex and diverse manner, creation of attractive communal spaces, and the building’s facade. In the outstanding works of this group, one notes a refusal of the profiteering, short-sighted approach of maximizing built area. The work of these architects demonstrates that dedicating a significant portion of usable space to the entrance, staircase, and other communal areas not only does not diminish the building’s value but certainly also increases its economic worth. Several examples of good works submitted have the potential to become a general model for part of urban construction.

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In the mass housing sector, problems reach their peak. Cultural and economic barriers have caused this group to lack both appeal and creativity. Nevertheless, several main and recurring themes have been addressed in these works, the most important of which is commendable in quality. One of the participants has designed their residential complex in the form of a row-house urban block—a forgotten subject. The urban streetscape, in this work, has been raised with modest boldness, but nonetheless in a relatively rare manner.

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Critique of Selected Works

The jury, after careful review of all received works and after eliminating a number of projects that fell outside the competition’s scope thematically, selected 200 projects as good works. These works fall into three general groups: residential complexes, apartment buildings, and villas and single- or two-family buildings. Building housing in a way that satisfies economic, social, psychological, and aesthetic considerations is a difficult task, since many of these preconditions lead to contradictory outcomes.

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