Amir Abbas Aboutalebi Villa 16 Ceremony

July 7, 2024

Villa Magazine Celebrates Austrian Architecture at Tehran Launch.
Editor-in-Chief Aboutalebi Highlights Historical Ties and Future Collaborations.

In a captivating speech at the launch of Villa Magazine's "Austrian Villas Issue" in Tehran, Editor-in-Chief Amir Abbas Aboutalebi expressed his deep gratitude to the Austrian Cultural Forum and Embassy for their unwavering support. He extended a special thanks to Ambassador Mr. Wolf Dietrich Heim and Dr. Michaela Pacher, Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum, for hosting the event.

 

To read the full speech, please click here.

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you all for joining us this evening.
Unfortunately, as Mrs. Spanlang mentioned, Dr. Negar Hakim—the guest editor of this issue and a visitor from Austria—could not be present due to a canceled flight from Isfahan to Tehran. We very much miss her presence here today.

I wish to sincerely thank the Austrian Cultural Forum in Tehran for supporting this non-profit, non-advertising project, as well as the Austrian Embassy and Ambassador Mr. Wolf Dietrich Heim, and Dr. Michaela Pacher, director of the Austrian Cultural Forum, for graciously hosting this event.

The architectural and cultural exchanges between Iran and Austria have a rich history dating back to the Safavid period. Among the milestones:

In 1851, Austrian teachers joined Dar al-Fonun, the academy initiated by Amir Kabir.
In 1902, Antuan Fisher contributed to cultural and architectural development in Tehran.
During the Pahlavi era, Viennese modernist Gabriel Guevrekian served as chief architect of Tehran, designing iconic villas.
In 1965, the team of Victor Gruen and Azizi Farmanfarmaian presented the first comprehensive master plan for Tehran.
In recent times, as Dr. Michaela Pacher noted in this issue’s foreword, Austrian architects such as Otto Wagner and Hans Hollein have also made a significant mark on Iran’s architectural landscape.
Looking to the future, we are planning open dialogues on the Villa Magazine platform with Austrian professionals such as Professor Klaus Loenheart and architect Wolf Prix.

It is an honor to address such a distinguished group in this beautiful Villa_Bagh. I intentionally use the term “Bagh” instead of “Garden” or “Persian Garden,” and “Villa” instead of “House,” in recognition of their deep cultural and ideological meaning.

Following this event, I invite you all to a free-form discussion to further explore the villa as an artistic phenomenon—a paradigm blending Western knowledge and Eastern wisdom.

The villa’s purpose is, and always has been, linked to human health and joy. I hope you enjoy your time with us. Thank you.

 

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)