Fereshteh 24

Tehran, Iran

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Fereshteh 24

Tehran, Iran

Firm

ARAD (Architectural Research And Design)

Type

Commercial › Office Retail

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2021

SIZE

300,000 sqft - 500,000 sqft

BUDGET

$10M - 50M

Occupying a site on Fereshteh Street, a prominent commercial thoroughfare in northern Tehran, Fereshteh24 is a mixed-use development offering both commercial and office spaces with a total area of 30000 square meters. Fereshteh Street has been undergoing a transition, with its previously low-rise buildings being replaced by five-story commercial centers and offices with plots of typically around 1200 square meters in size. In contrast, Fereshteh24 occupies a larger plot of 2600 square meters and reaches a height of 13 stories.

Fereshteh24 faces the inherent challenge of achieving spatial quality within a context where financial considerations prioritize maximizing built area. The project's program reflects this focus, demanding efficient utilization of the site's resources to fulfill demanding financial requirements. However, balancing these economic needs with achieving desirable urban and spatial outcomes requires careful consideration.

The project brief demanded a diverse program, including shops, restaurants, offices, and dedicated parking. Authorized building area limitations varied according to level: 80% in basements and ground floor, 50% on the first floor (commercial), and 30% on upper floors (comprising both commercial and office spaces).

The 6% slope of the street creates a height difference across the building, effectively connecting the first basement to pedestrian level on one end. This feature enables two entrances: one at ground level and another at the first basement, cleverly separating the flow of commercial and office users. Importantly, this solution preserves the valuable ground floor area for shops, maximizing its financial potential.

The economic optimization of the commercial area removed the financial pressure for creating a 8-meter floor setback on the ground floor. This open space next to the pedestrian walkway generates additional value and serves an urban function at the entrance of the building: it enhances the quality of the streetscape on Fereshteh’s narrow streets without incurring additional costs.

The building's shape leverages the varying authorized building areas across floors. As the percentage allowed for construction shrinks from 80% to 50% and then 30%, the design strategically creates terraces that exclude themselves from the calculated floor area. These bonus spaces will serve as outdoor restaurant and relaxation areas, carving cavities into the building's surface. Notably, the largest terrace facing Fereshteh Street breaks up the dense, solid wall of infill buildings, offering a significant open space in the urban fabric.

Despite the dense urban context of Fereshteh Street, Fereshteh24 enjoys an open vista to the north, framing the expansive green space of a nearby academic institute. Responding to this unique vista, the upper section of the building, or the tower, adopts a glazed facade to capitalize on the 360-degree view. The design employs this glass treatment to minimize the tower's visual impact and ensure the building’s integration within the surrounding context.