2024-11-21T16:58:03-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150022855/hossein-amanat-the-architect-of-tehran-s-iconic-azadi-tower-reflects-on-religion-and-architecture-in-iran Alexander Walter 2017-08-15T15:29:00-04:00 >2017-08-15T15:32:38-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/mq/mq8w532tycisq806.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>In 1966, a 24-year-old architect who had just graduated from Tehran University hesitantly entered a competition to design a monument to mark the 2,500-year celebration of the founding of the Persian empire. [...] The architect, Hossein Amanat, had no idea that his hastily prepared design, which went on to win the competition, would one day become a focal point of the Iranian capital&rsquo;s skyline, serving as a backdrop to some of the country&rsquo;s most turbulent political events.</p></em><br /><br /><p><em>The Azadi tower, he said, was an opportunity to &ldquo;design modern architecture using old language, to preserve the good things about a culture, leave aside the meaningless parts and create something new and meaningful&rdquo;.</em></p>