French Architecture Award for Arg Shopping Mall

The Iranian architecture company ‘Arsh 4D Studio’ has won an award at the 2017 Prix Versailles for their Arg Shopping Mall project in Tehran.

At a ceremony held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris last month, the project won the Special Prize Interior in the shopping malls category, Honaronline reported.

Launched in 2015, the Prix Versailles is an annual award dedicated to commercial architecture. Discerned at the headquarters of the UNESCO in Paris, it encompasses several categories, with the winners selected by an independent jury. It is the world architecture award for stores, hotels and restaurants.

The award singles out the architects and owners of shops and stores, hotels and restaurants around the world that are found to be particularly remarkable, from a perspective of their exterior architecture and interior design. The prix focuses on commercial buildings, with the clear aim of fostering a better mix of the economic and cultural sectors.

Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO, said “the Prix Versailles is one of the ways to shine light on the intersection between creation, art and economics.”

The Arg Mall, located in Tajrish neighborhood in north Tehran, is a five-storey commercial complex with stores for jewelry, perfume, cosmetics, clothing, electronics and household items plus a food court, children’s indoor amusement space,  Cineplex and a parking lot for 1000 cars. It opened over a year ago.

Alireza Sherafati and Pantea Eslami were the architects of the project. Jouya Javanshad and Mohsen Sharifi were the project managers and the design team included Zahra Ajorloo, Morvarid Malekhosseini, Mina Habibirad and Elnaz Sabouri.

Arsh 4D Studio has provided full range of architectural services to both the public and private sectors. It has completed several projects and was shortlisted in several national and international awards.