Melli Bank, University of Tehran Branch
Encyclopedia
The Melli Bank, University of Tehran Branch, was designed by Danish
architect Jørn Utzon
, famed for his Sydney Opera House
. The three-storey rectangular building on Enghelab Street near the centre of Tehran
, Iran
, was completed in 1962.
.
Munk Hansen, who had considerable experience of working in the Middle East
, encouraged Utzon to look carefully at Alvar Aalto
's National Pensions Institute in Helsinki and at Le Corbusier
's High Court Building at Chandigarh
. Utzon was particularly impressed by the latter, believing strong lines would also be needed for the Tehran project.
The top lighting inside the building was inspired by the skylights in Isfahan's bazaar which Utzon had visited in 1959. Based on Aalto's project for an art gallery in Baghdad
, the roof is articulated with folded-plate beams of various depths allowing the light to enter though narrow slits before being deflected by the deep V-shaped troughs. Utzon wanted the concrete flank walls to be left partially uncovered but shortly after his involvement ended, they were completely clad with travertine. Similarly, the rough perforated brick Utzon had prescribed for improving the acoustics inside the building was replaced with American acoustic panels. The structure is designed to provide complete flexibility in the organization of spaces.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
architect Jørn Utzon
Jørn Utzon
Jørn Oberg Utzon, , AC was a Danish architect, most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia. When it was declared a World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007, Utzon became only the second person to have received such recognition for one of his works during his lifetime...
, famed for his Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
. The three-storey rectangular building on Enghelab Street near the centre of Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, was completed in 1962.
Background
In 1958, Jorgen Saxild of the Kampax engineering company invited Utzon to design a branch of Bank Melli, Iran's National Bank. The building was to be located in Shahreza Street (later renamed Enghelab Street) in Tehran's university district. Kampax, who were very active in the Middle East, had been awarded the contract for the bank and had already secured the services of Hans Munk Hansen who became project architect. Despite the modest fee, Utzon accepted the design assignment as he was keen to become more closely associated with Islamic architectureIslamic architecture
Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic culture....
.
Munk Hansen, who had considerable experience of working in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, encouraged Utzon to look carefully at Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware...
's National Pensions Institute in Helsinki and at Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
's High Court Building at Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
. Utzon was particularly impressed by the latter, believing strong lines would also be needed for the Tehran project.
Architecture
The bank is located on a sizable plot, 26 metres wide, on a busy thoroughfare. It contains a large banking hall with a number of offices. Responding to a requirement that it should stand out from the neighbouring buildings, Utzon positioned it on a raised platform set back from the street. The platform is flanked by projecting walls, forming a small piazza. The two upper levels of the three-storey building are designed to accommodate administrative services and are connected to the banking hall by a spiral staircase. A shaded area, roofed by V-shaped beams, provides a dramatic front to the banking hall. Impressed by Aalto's pensions institute, Utzon had designed the hall as a landscape of desks and small cubicles.The top lighting inside the building was inspired by the skylights in Isfahan's bazaar which Utzon had visited in 1959. Based on Aalto's project for an art gallery in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, the roof is articulated with folded-plate beams of various depths allowing the light to enter though narrow slits before being deflected by the deep V-shaped troughs. Utzon wanted the concrete flank walls to be left partially uncovered but shortly after his involvement ended, they were completely clad with travertine. Similarly, the rough perforated brick Utzon had prescribed for improving the acoustics inside the building was replaced with American acoustic panels. The structure is designed to provide complete flexibility in the organization of spaces.
Literature
- Jørn Utzon, Additive Architecture: Logbook Vol. V, Copenhagen, Edition Bløndal, 2009, 312 pages. ISBN 8791567238
- Richard Weston: Utzon — Inspiration, Vision, Architecture. Denmark: Edition Bløndal, 2002. ISBN 87-88978-98-2