Location: Tehran, Iran.

Architect: Fluid Motion.

Tehran is the business hub of Iran, with a significant portion of the country’s public-sector workforce and large industrial firms located there. The city has seen an increase in international relations and tourism in recent years, leading to a desire to expand economic relations with foreign countries. To achieve this, a world trade center is needed, and the architects have looked to traditional Iranian architecture for inspiration. The Charbagh, a Persian quadrilateral garden layout with two main perpendicular axes, was used to create a three-dimensional structure for the skyscraper. The two dominant axes of the city were separated to form the base frame of the tower, with a twisted three-dimensional surface created by connecting them. The surface was then converted into two surfaces unifying at the top, with an open space for public affairs created between them. The four gardens at the ground level provide entrance to specific parts of the building, and the openness between the two parts functions as a solar chimney, promoting ventilation and cooling the building. In the winter, the glass chimney vent on the top of the building can be closed to trap heat and force it into the building for heating purposes. The world trade center will become an urban landmark and a symbol of Tehran and Iran, benefiting the city’s economy enormously.