Iran, Tehran, General

Building Notes (Tehran University)

In 1968 Sir Basil Spence, Bonnington and Collins were consulted regarding the creation of a master plan for the new campus of the Arya Mehr University. They had been recommended to the University’s Chancellor, Dr Reza Amin, by J C Cloake of the British Embassy in Tehran.

Archive Details and Summary (Tehran University)

The Sir Basil Spence Archive material shows that the project involved building a completely new campus in Isfahan, and in light of Spence’s experience at the University of Sussex, Dr Amin was interested in his view of the conceptual planning of the project. Talks progressed to the point where Spence proposed producing a master plan covering all aspects of the new campus and specified the practice’s fees for doing so. It seems that Spence’s role did not advance much beyond this stage and correspondence in the Archive suggests that Dr Amin favoured using Iranian expertise for designing the new university.

The Sir Basil Spence Archive contains one manuscript folder relating to Tehran University. This includes correspondence and a copy of the master plan study of 1968.

This text was written as one of the outputs of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, 2005-08.

Building Notes (Tehran Cultural Centre)

In 1975 the Sir Basil Spence International Partnership became involved with a project to build a new cultural centre in Tehran. The Imperial Government of Iran wished to assemble a team of international experts, comprised of architects and cultural figures, to form an advisory committee for overseeing the planning, design, construction and forward strategy of the new cultural centre. The centre's main concern was to encourage the continuation of Islamic art traditions.

The project was a collaborative one, connecting the Iranian practice Mandala with important figures in the arts from around the world. Among these were Lord Eccles, then Chairman of the British Library Board and former Minister of Arts, Sir Huw Weldon, former Managing Director of BBC TV and Herbert von Karajan, Director of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. This range of expertise in architecture and the arts was intended to constitute an advisory panel capable of driving forward all aspects of the project, architecturally and strategically.

Details regarding the requirements of the centre do not appear to have ever become very well-defined. Certainly there was a requirement for opera, theatre, film and exhibition facilities. It was estimated that the budget would be in the region of 60 to 100 million pounds and, work would be ongoing for up to ten years. The deadline was 21 March 1976.

Archive Details and Summary (Tehran Cultural Centre)

The Sir Basil Spence Archive contains two manuscript folders relating to the Tehran Cultural Centre. The bulk of the material is made up of correspondence between the Sir Basil Spence International Partnership and Lord Eccles. It was in fact Lord Eccles who was the first to become aware of the competition and his enthusiasm for Spence's work led him to encourage the practice to submit an entry. Of the 40 or so entrants, only the British, French and USA submissions were seriously considered.

It appears from the Archive that Sir Basil Spence International Partnership's involvement was to register their interest and their team. The project was not completed due to the deposition of the Shah of Iran.

This text was written as one of the outputs of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, 2005-08.

Building Notes (Omran Bank)

In 1976 Omran Bank (also known as the Bank of Development and Reconstruction) announced a competition to design their new headquarters in Tehran. The Sir Basil Spence Partnership was one of the firms to compete for this contract with partners Anthony Blee and Mervyn Derby leading the bid which was awarded second prize. The Project was not carried out due to the deposition of the Shah.

Archive Details and Summary (Omran Bank)

The Sir Basil Spence Archive includes some of the competition drawings that show the practice’s proposed design. The drawings show a 28-storey tower, the south elevation of which is a plain rectangular slab with a regular grid of fenestration; the east elevation is much narrower and is windowless. The scheme included a sloping extension to the north side of the building and underground parking facilities. The drawings in the Archive also show an alternate design for the south elevation which retains the rectangular form but features two vertical bands of fenestration with visor-like structures to modulate the sunlight.

The Sir Basil Spence Archive contains 25 drawings relating to the Omran Bank competition. These include site plans, elevations, sections and details. There is one letter to the Managing Director of the Bank relating to this project in the manuscript material for the Iran Cultural Centre project, expressing the practice's interest in entering the competition.

This text was written as one of the outputs of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, 2005-08.

Building Notes (Villa B)

Villa B (also referred to as the Villa Tehran, or Villa Barkhordar) is located in Elahieh, an wealthy district in northern Tehran. Sir Basil Spence OM RA was commissioned to design a luxury house for the Barkhordar family in 1975. The Barkhordars were familiar with the practice’s work having already purchased the penthouse apartment at their Mariposa development in Cannes in the south of France. Anthony Blee was partner in charge of the project.

The final design for the house in Tehran took the form of a large rectangular villa with an open atrium at the centre and the apartments arranged around this inner courtyard. The grounds were landscaped by the practice to include a port-cochere and garden pavilion, both with stylized ogee shaped roofs, swimming pool, water cascade and tennis pavilion.

The Iranian Revolution, which began in January 1978, forced the practice to leave the country during the construction of the villa which though well advanced was not yet complete. They did not return to Tehran.

Archive Details (Villa B)

The Sir Basil Spence Archive contains photographs and drawings, which show two separate designs for the Villa B. The original plan was for a square house, with a hexagonal inner atrium, and a square corner tower with pitched roof and ribbon windows.

The drawings also reveal that there were initially a number of alternative plans developed for the villa though these were mainly for the internal arrangement of rooms and circulation through the building, rather than for the external form of the house itself.

Archive Summary (Villa B)

The Sir Basil Spence Archive contains photographic views of the two architect's models for the initial designs and drawings including numerous sketch plans and details along with working and construction drawings. No manuscripts exist in the Archive for this Project.

This text was written as one of the outputs of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, 2005-08.

Building Notes (Tehran International Conference Centre)

In 1968 Sir Basil Spence was invited to join The International Committee for the Construction of a Conference Centre in Iran. He was to act as a consultant in his capacity as an 'architect of world renown'. The Iranian government wanted to build an extension to their existing conference centre in Tehran, increasing its capacity and improving its facilities, in this way they hoped to be able to attract major international conferences to the country. The chief architect for the Conference Centre was to be the Iranian, Sardar Afkhami.

The building was intended to reflect native architectural tradition. The plan specified a main conference hall (capable of hosting 3,000 delegates) which could be sub-divided if necessary. In addition there would be secretariat rooms, offices, exhibition space, a library and press and broadcasting facilities. The Committee advised that the design should also allow for future expansion.

Archive Details and Summary (Tehran International Conference Centre)

The Sir Basil Spence Archive contains two manuscript folders relating to the Tehran International Conference Centre. There is correspondence relating to the project as well as reports and the minutes of the Committee meetings.

The correspondence in the archive shows that this project necessitated Spence’s first trip to Iran. He described his visit to the ruins of Persepolis as 'one of the greatest architectural experiences of my life'.

This text was written as one of the outputs of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, 2005-08.