Frikadell (renovation)

“A.S.P. Towers are one of the most well-known skyscrapers in Tehran, Iran, located in the neighborhood of Amir Abad. The panoramic view of the three buildings includes Alborz Mountains, Damavand peak to the east and newly constructed Borj-e Milad (Milad Tower) to the west. They have been a landmark of Tehran since being completed in 1976 and was inaugurated by the then Empress of Iran Farah Diba in that year.” (Reference from Wikipedia). In recent years, the communal shopping areas at the foot of the three towers have turned to one of the trendiest destinations of the capital for dinning. Customers at this destination prefer outdoor seating as the foot of the towers is away from the main road’s noise and pollution, they can enjoy the weather, dine outdoor, bring their pets, smoke, etc. Unlike cafes and restaurants next to a central open yard that offer outdoor seating, cafes and restaurants next to the central pool are prohibited by towers’ management to place chairs and tables in the narrow corridors around the pool. The project was located in the corridors were outdoor seating is not allowed.

Creating the space in a manner that enables customers to enjoy all the outdoor advantages without intruding with the outdoor corridors was the main challenge of this project. Ambiguity between exterior and interior areas of the restaurant were pushed to its limits by completely transforming the wall exposed to the outside corridor. Base of this wall was designed to be a continuous concrete bench and it was further completed by installing mechanical vertical movable windows on top of it. This design allows customers to enjoy all the outdoor activities otherwise unavailable to them at this location and it resulted in a healthy footfall of customers for the client.