Like Linazasoro & Sánchez’s proposal for the Ávila Municipal Centre competition which we posted about this week, this proposed building heavily features ceramic and it will never be realized. Austrian architect Hans Hollein’s submission to the 2012 Tehran Stock Exchange design competition employed a large, elevated ceramic cube to set the building apart from its surroundings.
The architect’s goal was to solve the paradox of creating a building that respects its urban context, but at the same time, one that is a notable and an easily identifiable structure. The cube’s facade would have been assembled from ceramic elements in patterns that the architect states are “reminiscent of the Iranian vernacular.” The bricks would be overlaid with a colorful, traditional pattern and also respond to light in a few different ways. The enamel would reflect bright daylight or would be a “beacon” when the sky is cloudy. At night the cube would be back-lit to project light in all directions. “This dissipated image of this rigid cube translates the notion of how a traditional entity such as the stock exchange has adapted to a digital age,” the design description states.
Hollein, who is based in Vienna, partnered with the Padiav Parth Architectural Group of Tehran for the project. Unfortunately, their project was not chosen. The competition results were announced in August 2012: Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena created the winning design. His relatively neutral building will certainly blend into Tehran more than Hollein’s proposal but it’s interesting to note their similarities. Both designs employ latticed brick skins that are illuminated at night, functioning as giant lamps. Beyond that, the two projects couldn’t be more different. Aravena’s building mixes elements of traditional Persian architecture with that of an anonymous skyscraper to make it a pretty safe bet. Hollein’s proposal is airy, bright, and inviting and it’s difficult to imagine the stock market ticker crawling over its surface.
Above image: Proposed design for the 2012 Tehran Stock Exchange building competition submitted by architect Hans Hollein with Padiav Parth Architectural Group. Courtesy of the architects.
Proposed design for the Tehran Stock Exchange building submitted by architect Hans Hollein with Padiav Parth Architectural Group. Images courtesy of the architects.
Renderings of the winning proposal of the 2012 Tehran Stock Exchange design competition by Alejandro Aravena Architects. Courtesy of the architects.
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