Tourist Information, Shiraz

The Tourist Information center on Chamran Boulevard in Shiraz was a finalist (Jury Selection) in the Public Buildings category at the 9th Memar Award (2009). Designed by Ali Sodagaran and Nazanin Kazeroonian for the Cultural Heritage Organization of Fars province, the 400 m² building on a 1,988 m² site features a striking curved white form raised on pilotis with vibrant orange and red glazed panels. The jurors praised its bold formal statement: Kamran Afshar Naderi noted it functions well as an iconic tourism hub where "both the coloring and the form accomplish this correctly," though he felt it lacked the interior purity such architecture demands. Hossein Sheikh Zeinoddin appreciated that "the overall idea is never sacrificed to details" but agreed the architect missed an opportunity to embed Iranian identity. Franco Micucci, as a foreigner, wished to see more Iranian cultural identity in the design, observing that "this project could be anywhere in the world." Despite these criticisms, all jurors considered it an interesting and well-executed project overall.