Teheran, Iran

Designing Teheran

Andrea Antonucci, Salvatore Calandrino, Office178, Alessandro Baccari

www.office178.com

info@office178.com

BUILDING Looking at the city of Teheran and talking to people living there made it immediately clear that the city needed a building that could show the potential of contemporary architecture. The result that has been achieved is to have a building with two elements that deal with different perceptions. From far the building attracts especially for its ever changing and reflecting glazed façade that generates an unexpected and new appeal. When approaching the building by driving or passing by, the attracting point becomes the entrances to the retail units, that bend to all directions to welcome the shoppers. As a matter of fact the large windows are visible from every access route. When accessing the building from any of its sides the road enters in the building providing access to all the retail units and the rear garden, offices, apartments and parking below ground. Just like an traditional bazaar, the guest will walk through all the activities contained in the building experiencing them in sequence. Below the retail space there is a parking with approximately 170 places, spaces for bicycles and motorcycles, 15 places for disabled people. FACADE To improve the thermal insulation in a climate with extreme temperatures and humidity especially during the summer, the façade is composed by three layers. Every internal space is separated from the outside with double glazing. Between this layer and the external one there is a terrace on every level running around the whole building and working as a thermal buffer. This area will mitigate the difference in temperature between the external and the internal space producing a considerable saving on energy used to heat or cool the indoor spaces. Every office and apartment have access to this intermediate area, protected by the last layer of glass that also characterizes the building from the outside with its peculiar shape. The structure behind the glass facade is carrying loads from all the floors and connects at the bottom with deep beams that connect to the main cores, which are the main element for transmitting loads to the ground. What the reticular structure does is also containing the lateral forces in case of earthquake. RETAIL The commercial surface is divided into three units contained in separate volumes which open towards the main street. The access to the stores has been studied to enhance the their visibility from any side of the street by introducing generous full height shop-windows. Every store is split in two levels connected by a stair and a lift; the interiors offer a variety of heights to suit many different fit-out requirement with a ceiling height up to 8,5 metres. The longitudinal space allows for flexibility in the layout of the interiors and creates visual connections between the main street and the rear garden. The interstice between the retail units is filled with additional display areas and entrances, a passage used by many people throughout the day to access offices and apartments in the higher part of the building, the parking or the rear garden. The retail storage is located at level -1; 600sqm are divided between the three units, accessible via stairs and lifts from every individual store. OFFICE SPACE The project includes approximately 3900sqm of prestigious office space, distributed on 5 levels. Levels 2 and 3 offer 900sqm, while from level 4 to level 6 the introduction of three patios reduce the area to 675sqm per floor. The patios are only accessible by level 5 staff and offer a relax area that can be used in connection with the kitchenette. The access to the offices is gained from the ground floor and from the parking levels, through 4 lifts. Every core also includes stairs for phased evacuation of the building in case of fire. The offices can be easily divided up to 6 units thanks to plasterboard partitions that will provide the acoustic and fire protection between units. These partitions can be put in place or removed in a very short time, with minimal consequences on ceiling and flooring. Every lift lobby will provide access to both sides, making it easier to combine different units. The presence of all the services within the cores make it possible to close the space within cores and glass with utility rooms or toilets according to the needs of the tenants. APARTMENTS On the top of the building are located 6 apartments of approximately 115sqm. Distributed around the three patios, the access to the units is gained through two lift lobbies connected by a glass bridge. The apartments are usually made up of two double bedrooms, two toilets, one large living area including the kitchen and a terrace where every room has access to, with breathtaking views of the Alborz mountain. This space has multiplicity of uses especially in the warmer months where it can become an extension of the living area.

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Designing Teheran