Form Comes from Life
Ekbatans Architect: Restoring the Courtyard Feeling Depends on Defining a New Life
- The urban fabric reflects the spirit and lifestyle of its residents.
- Azari incorporated a courtyard, balcony, pool, and terrace in the design of a four-story building in Ramsar.
- He describes architecture as “life that has been given form.”
- In his view, a new life must be defined before a new form can be created.
- Azari emphasized cooperation among all, including officials, to build a better country.
Fereydoun Azari, a veteran architect and the architect of Ekbatan Town in western Tehran, sees the urban fabric as a reflection of the spirit and lifestyle of its residents, and believes that the feeling of the courtyard in old homes can be recreated in today’s architecture. In an interview with SAMA, he discussed the relationship between contemporary architecture and urban life, recalling his experience building old courtyard houses and asking what is being done in urban construction today.
An Experience in Ramsar: From Courtyard to Terrace
Azari referred to his experience building a four-story building in Ramsar, a city on Iran’s Caspian coast, and said that during the design he asked himself, “What does an Iranian home want?” In response, he incorporated a courtyard, balcony, pool, and terrace into the design. According to him, these elements restore the same feeling as the former courtyards.
Architecture: Life Given Form
The veteran architect described architecture as “life that has been given form,” a phrase he said he always repeats, and stressed that to create a new form, a new life must first be defined, because in his view the form comes into being on its own.
Azari also expressed hope that everyone, including officials, would share this feeling and work together to help build a better country.
