alireza
houbakht

This mixed-used building , on the south-east side of Laleh park in Tehran, is a proposal for a public competition held in January 2018. The brief called for a mixed-used building with an irregular footprint and a maximum height of 38m above street level. The program consists of commercial, office, café and restaurant. Situated on a dense urban fabric, the volume is visible from all sides calling for a strong visual identity. The design expresses strong and pure volume among congested city: a monolithic which represents three programs by three type of subtraction on itself. Three big opening in commercial levels (1st and 2nd levels), rhythm of vertical opening in office levels (3rd- 7th) and also a tremendous opening in café-restaurant levels (8th and 9th) mainly form the building. The rhythm of the façades adds character and depth for the building as simple as possible. In office levels the facade stand clear of the rainscreen on the south façade, defining balconies on the upper floors giving the building a clear ‘front’ towards the urban square. On the other façades, the openings are engaged and form part of the envelope on the upper floors.

On the ground floor, the façade is subtracted in south side to form a double height opening, providing a sheltered public area and access to the ground floor on the main side of building. The main entrances are on the south and north façades, leading into a double height lobby. A pair of central cores provides the main structure and defines the internal arrangement for the eight stories of column-free office and commercial space, maximizing flexibility for tenants and accessibility for staff and visitors. The two top floors are articulated as a huge terrace for the building, with an eye-catching views to the Laleh park.