Mr Nader Kazemi, a well-known and cultivated Shirazi philanthropist who has long sponsored many acts of charity in the city, has donated a building to the Faculty of Art and Architecture of Shiraz University. The faculty, founded four years ago, had until now — like many teaching institutions — lacked suitable premises. The gift of this large and handsome building, thanks to the high aspiration of its benefactor, not only resolves a constraint on the faculty that might otherwise have continued for years; it also gives a special lustre to the academic life of Shiraz.
The building stands on a site of 78,000 m² with a built area of about 8,000 m². It contains an assembly hall, a library, a computer centre, various laboratories, art and architecture studios, administrative offices, classrooms, a dedicated prayer space and public and service spaces. It is inspired by the architecture of Alborz High School, where Mr Nader Kazemi studied as a young man.
Floor areas of some of the building’s spaces
- Assembly hall — 380 m²
- Library — 180
- Computer — 75
- Laboratories — 44
- Workshops — 330
- Administration — 280
- Classrooms — 1,587
- Other — 800
Departments of the faculty
- Urban Planning, at the master’s level, with about 30 students; the first cohort graduated in 1378 (1999–2000).
- Architecture, at the integrated master’s and undergraduate levels, with about 70 students.
- Handicrafts, at the undergraduate level, with over 100 students and one cohort already graduated.
In future, the establishment of schools of industrial design, urban design, and fields related to the dramatic arts, as well as new master’s and doctoral programmes, will also be considered.
Memar magazine, in recognition of this precious gift, wishes Mr Nader Kazemi a long life of blessings and good fortune.
