30 Tir, Tehran, IR
SCOPE: Proposal for Restoration and Addition to an Existing Two Story House and Conversion to a Cafe/Gallery
SIZE: 3,300 Sq. Ft (300sm)
CLIENT: A Restaurateur
The overall design approach was to enclose and preserve as much of the existing crumbling two story 100-year-old Pahlavi era house and convert it to a new “Cafe/Gallery”. The project is located in a historic district of downtown Tehran filled with residences, museums, embassies and shops. After a fire that destroyed most of the second floor and the roof, and during the restoration of the remaining house, layers of plaster were removed to reveal an even older structure dating back to the Zand Dynasty (300 years old).
A new minimal and perforated brick facade, with various sized steel framed openings, will function as a threshold into this archeological time capsule. It will also act as a screen that veils the new steel structure supporting the entire building.
The outline of the 100 year old facade can be seen through the new perforated brick wall from outside. Once inside, the double height lobby is filled with the play of light and shadows of the perforated brick wall behind. The Zand era stone columns are revealed and exposed, while a modern steel round staircase takes the guests to the upper gallery level, or the staff to the new basement kitchen and facilities.
From the lobby, as the guests walk past a one meter thick exposed brick wall, they step into a beautifully preserved, 300 year old vaulted brick space with arched openings that will function as the main cafe and bar area.