Negar Hakim Villa 16 Speech

I would like to welcome you all to Issue No. 16 of our Villa Magazine. First and foremost, I would like to thank His Excellency Mr.  Mr. Wolf Dietrich Heim, the Austrian Ambassador in Tehran, and Dr. Michaela Pacher, the Head of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Tehran, for this wonderful event.

A special thanks, of course, goes to Dipl.ing  Mr. Amir Abbas Aboutalebi, the founder of the Villa professional journal, who works on this magazine with great dedication and attention. I am also very pleased to be able to participate in this special event today.

Villas have always been like a green and fertile meadow where creative architects could showcase their original ideas. The Villa Magazine is like a canvas that embodies these ideas, and it is an exhibition space that brings these artworks into the spotlight, Showing buildings that are often secluded and hidden from the public eye.

I do not mean to say that other architectural projects lack value or creativity. However, they are often products that result from many constraints stemming from dense urban living, economic pressures, and time constraints.

Therefore, it is not surprising that many villas have become significant milestones in the history of architecture. For instance, in this city (I mean, of course, Tehran), one could go back about a century to the time when modern architecture was introduced to Iran.

Gabriel Guevrekian, an architect who also studied in Vienna, was the first to bring modern architectural ideas to Iranian soil in the early 1930s. The Armenian-born architect first published his works in a French magazine, and these works are still considered some of the first modern buildings in Asia.

Today, however, we live in a world where everyone can search for their favourite topics on their mobile phones. Nevertheless, architectural journals, like the Villa Magazine, still hold a special place.

In my opinion, their strength lies in the fact that in recent years, they have tried to highlight a different country and its creative, preferably young teams in each issue, introducing architects and their audience to the creative projects and original architectural ideas of a country.

In this issue, it is now the turn of Austrian architectural firms, and the editor-in-chief has entrusted me with the responsibility for this issue, as well as the selection of articles and firms.

Austria, a country in the heart of Europe, has always had a rich architectural history and outstanding architects. A glance at the past century is enough to come across names like Hans Hollein, a Pritzker Prize winner, who considers the Glass and Ceramics Museum in Tehran one of his most remarkable works.

Or the architectural firm Coop Himmelb(l)au, which is internationally renowned.
Another name I should not omit is Professor Roland Rainer, who wrote a work on the architectural history of Iran with his comprehensive research, which is considered a reference for architecture students.

In selecting the content for this issue, we have tried to highlight the young and creative architectural scene in Austria today. In doing so, we aimed to adhere to the magazine's priorities.

Firstly, we selected firms that have received national and international awards. Secondly, the works should demonstrate original ideas and different approaches. Thirdly, the works should establish a connection with Austria's beautiful nature. Fourthly, the works should create a relationship between traditional and modern construction, as well as between rural and urban life.

And finally, as the last criterion, they should propose a new response to the climate change crisis.

I hope I have piqued your curiosity and that this issue of the magazine will meet the expectations of its readers.

 

Thank you.
Negar Hakim

 

Issue No.16, Monograph Edition,
Austrian Villas Special Issue

CONTEMPORARY VILLAS IN AUSTRIA

A Catalyst for Change

ISSN: 2981-197X (EN)
ISSN: 2981-1961 (FA)
Registration No. 74246

@ All materials in the special issue No.16 – The Austrian Villas Issue – are supported by the Austrian Cultural From Tehran (ÖKFT)