RESTORATION & REVITALIZATION OF ALIAKBARKHAN SAN’ATI MUSEUM, Faramarz Parsi

Project’s Name ـ Function: Restoration and Revitalization of Aliakbarkhan San’ati Museum
Office ـ Company: Emarate Khorshid consultant engineers
Lead Architect: Faramarz Parsi
Design Team: Saber Asadi, Ali Shayesteh, Majid Mohammadlou, Mehrdad Dolatkhah
Mechanical Structure ـ Structure: VRF system is used for both heating and cooling, which is a more advanced version of split unit, In addition to the low pressure electrical system, all the low-current systems including IT and security cameras have been installed in this building. Ceiling: Modification of roof truss detailing, Removal of the bricks from beams and Construction of low-weight wooden ceilings between steel beams, Walls: Geo-grid mesh and Lime clay shots, Injection of lime clay mortar
Foundation: Micro pile and grout injection in the soil
Location: No. 56, Ferdosi St., Northwest corner of Imam Khomeini (Toopkhaneh) square
Total Land Area ـ Area Of Construction: 1000 m2
Client: Tehran Beautification Organization
Date: 2014  -  2016
Photographer: Behnam Abri, Farshid Rahimi Kalheroudi, Emarate Khorshid
Consultant Engineers
Website: www.emaratkhorshid.com
Email: emarate_khorshid@yahoo.com

This two-storey building in the northwest corner of Toopkhaneh (Imam Khomeini) Square, along with Tejart Bank Building, is the last remain of an urban plaza with great significance in the history of Tehran.
Toopkhaneh Square, with about 150 years of history, has undergone many changes, as well as the buildings around it, and its dimensions have changed due to the destruction of two important buildings i.e. Telegraghkhaneh (Telegraph building) and Shahrdari (Municipality), in its north and south. This museum not only defines the northwest limits of the square, but also associates the height, floors and skyline of the original historic square. This building has been built with major changes and interpolations during the first Pahlavi era, over its original Qajar part. It is said that in the late Qajar era the building had been used by Reza Khan Mirpanj (the founder of Pahlavi dynasty), before applying the changes that created its contemporary look; After the Red Lion and Sun Society was established, it was the first building dedicated to it for 5 years. This building was dedicated to the works of Aliakbarkhan San’ati in 1325 SH (1946 AD) as a museum and since then, it has been one of the most important museums of visual artworks especially sculpture and in the first years of its establishment, it has gained great successes in the Iranian art society. It seems that it is not only the artistic value of the sculptures in the building that counts, but also the personal characteristic of Aliakbarkhan San’ati himself that must be remarkably considered.
In the restoration of this building, we didn’t need to apply major changes, because not only its original museum function must have been restored, but also Master Aliakhbarkhan San’ati has constructed some of the biggest and most important sculptures “in situ” in the ground floor, therefore no big changes could be applied in the position and location of these sculptures. Although the exhibition concept of the upper floor was preserved but the consultant was freer to make changes there, to increase the small number of visitors and to enhance the vitality of the building, by creating a temporary exhibition space for painters and sculptors. As it was mentioned before, another decision to augment the popularity and attraction of the museum for greater number of visitors, was to build a café in the northern courtyard of the building which has become a famous gathering place for painters and sculptors of Tehran.