The future of Milad Project Phase II seems uncertain for now after the sudden death of Zaha Hadid, the celebrated British-Iraqi architect on Thursday.
In 2012, her proposal had been selected as the winner design in an international architectural contest held in Tehran, organized by the chief architect of the tallest tower in Iran Mohammad Reza Hafezi.
From among 130 domestic and foreign companies that submitted their proposals, only 31 met the required qualifications to take part in the contest, the Persian language newspaper ‘Iran’ reported.
After incisive evaluation of the proposals by jury members, the design proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects Company based in the UK was chosen for its unique design features.
Two other proposals by Iran’s Arseh Consulting Company and China’s Beijing Construction Company were the chosen as the second and third best.
Zaha Hadid has designed and completed 950 projects in 44 countries across the world. Hadid’s buildings have been commissioned around the world and she was the first woman to receive the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) gold medal.
Vitra fire station, Weil am Rhein, Germany (1994) Phaeno science centre, Wolfsburg, Germany (2005), Bridge Pavilion, Zaragoza, Spain (2008), Evelyn Grace Academy, London, UK (2008), Guangzhou opera house, Guangzhou, China (2010), Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Abu Dhabi, UAE (2010), Riverside museum, Glasgow, Scotland (2011), London aquatics centre, Stratford, UK (2012), Heydar Aliyev cultural center, Baku, Azerbaijan (2012), Galaxy Soho, Beijing, China (2012) are among her most famous projects.
Milad Tower, also known as the Tehran Tower, is a multi-purpose tower in Tehran. It is the sixth tallest tower and the 17th tallest freestanding structure in the world. It is located on the interjection of two highways in northwestern Tehran, standing at 435 m (1,427 feet) from base to the tip of the antenna. The head consists of a large pod with 12 floors, the roof of which is 315 meters (1,033 feet).
Ambitious Project
Phase II of the project includes a world trade center covering 120,000 square meters, a five-star twin tower hotel, a 63,000 square-meter commercial complex, and a parking lot for 5,000 cars that would but built over 170,000 square meters.
After selecting Haddi’s design for the project, contractor of the project, Mehrafarin Company started excavation operations to prepare the land for the construction.
While the firm was busy with pre-construction work, members of Tehran City Council repeatedly criticized the hotel’s unsafe height. Another issue the councilors often pointed out was that Milad Tower’s distinguished view of the capital’s landscape would be marred by the new skyscrapers nearby.
“The project was delayed up until last year due to disagreements and assessment problems,” said Eqbal Shakeri, head of the Civil Committee of the council in his interview with the state-owned newspaper. “Before the start of the new Iranian year (March 20), the necessary permits for construction of the towers were obtained from the council’s Article 5 Commission after revisions were made to the height of the planned tower.”
The commission is responsible for studying and enactment of urban building and expansion plans.
“Although the problems delayed the project, experts believe that with a little more attention and planning the project can get back on the track soon,” Shakeri said, adding that there are five other okayed proposals for the project.
The available plans can be evaluated and selected, also another contest can be held to select a new design, he noted. The project will be financed by the private sector.
A committee appointed to judge the 2012 competition included Professor Seyed Mahmoud Golabchi (a board member of Tehran University), Seyed Mohammad Beheshti (the former head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage Handicrafts and Tourism Organization), Hashem Hashemnezhad (a board member of University of Science and Technology of Iran), Kambiz Navaee (board member of Shahid Beheshti University) and Mohammad Askari (economic representative of the project investor).
Fereshteh Pasargad Hotel which is one of the biggest and tallest in Iran is another project designed by the late Hadid.
The Grand Hotel, which is under construction on an area of 160,000 square meters with 58 stories, 81 suites, 400 rooms, and 18 restaurants in Tehran’s northern Elahieh district, was due to be completed by the end of 2018. The project was launched in 2012.
