Iran architecture projects reach WAF finals

Five Iranian architecture projects have reached the final stage of the 2017 World Architecture Festival (WAF).

The five Iranian architecture projects as well as a Turkish structure to be implemented in Tehran are competing against projects from 68 countries in various categories of the WAF this year.

The 10th anniversary of the festival will have 30 categories, of which the awards are divided into three broader sections: building, landscape and future project sections.

Finalists will be invited to present their projects to the jury of the WAF Awards festival, to be held in Berlin, Germany, from November 15-17.

Completed buildings will go on to battle for the coveted World Building of the Year title. Meanwhile, conceptual projects will compete to be named Future Project of the Year.

In the previous two editions, Iranian architects failed to attend the German festival due to the western sanctions. However, they are competing in this year’s festival as a result of the change in banking covenants.

Iran’s New Wave Architecture firm’s ‘Three Views’, a house designed by architects Lida Almassian and Shahin Heidari, is shortlisted in the completed buildings section, house category. The three-floor residential building is located in Mosha Village in Damavand County, northeastern part of Tehran Province.

A nominee in the health category of the festival is Pars Hospital, which is located in the northern city of Rasht. The hospital is built on an area of 30,000 square meters with almost 160 beds.

In the housing category of the completed buildings section, Villa Residential Apartment in Tehran by Arsh 4D Studio is among the finalists.

In the office category of the future projects section, Chabahar Free Zone Organization Headquarters in the southeastern city of Chabahar is a finalist.

In the house category of the future projects section, Villa Oushan is the name of the Iranian candidate.

Among the finalists in the commercial mixed-use category of the future projects, there is also a design by Turkish company Emre Arolat Architecture, for a commercial building in Tehran.

Iran’s absence from the two previous German events has moved festival organizers to create a special award category in the upcoming WAF.

The ‘WAF award for Iranian practices’ will address the best building designed and completed by an Iranian architecture company in the past three years.

“We are delighted to be able to re-establish relationships with Iranian practices, and hope that the arrangement for this year will be taken as a symbol of our commitment to encouraging good architecture anywhere in the world,” a statement at the festival website read.

Over 400 award finalists will be judged at the festival, which will also feature a 500 project strong gallery and an international product exhibition.

AI/AI