Azadi Square (Persian: میدان آزادی - Meydān e Āzādi) is a city square in
Tehran,
Iran.
It has an area of about 50,000 m2, plus adjacent areas, and is the largest square in
Tehran and the second largest in
Iran, being smaller than Naqsh-e Jahan Square in
Isfahan.
The 50 m
Azadi Tower is in the centre of the square.
Azadi Tower is one of the symbols of
Tehran City, the capital of
Iran, and marks the west entrance to the city.
The architect, Hossein Amanat, won a competition to design the monument, which combines both Islamic and Sassanid architectural styles; the fifty-foot high tower commemorates the formation of the Persian Empire and is an interesting combination of both modern and ancient cultures.
There are several fountains around the base of the tower and a museum underground.
Like the City Theater,
Carpet Museum and
Tehran ...see more museum of contemporary Art, the 50m-high structure is a mix of ‘60s modern architecture with traditional Iranian influences, most notably the iwan -style of the arch.
The exterior is clad with more than 8000 cut stones, while inside you can see the complex structural engineering in concrete that forms the bones of architect Hossein Amanat’s design.
The shape of each block was calculated by computer, and programmed to include all the instructions for the building's work. The entrance of the tower is directly underneath the main vault and leads into the Azadi Museum on the basement floor.
The black walls and proportions of the building are austere. Heavy doors open onto a crypt with subdued lighting issuing from showcases, each containing an object.
Gold and enamel pieces, painted
Pottery, marble, miniature, and paintings are located among black marble walls. A concrete mesh forms the ceiling. Approximately fifty pieces have been selected, each representing a particular period in
Iran's history.
The original show, devised in 1971, was replaced in 1975 by a new one which invited visitors to discover
Iran's geographic and natural diversity along with its fundamental historical elements.
The landscapes and works of art, the faces and achievements, calligraphic poems and technical undertakings, the life and hopes of a population were shown through its ancient miniatures as well as through the smiling studiousness of
Iran's new generation of children.
This creative "Sound and Light" performance, devised by a Czechoslovakian firm, required 12,000 meters of film, 20,000 color slides, 20 movie projectors, and 120 slide projectors.
Five computers operated the entire system.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org
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http://www.payvand.com
