The Beginning 17

Amir Abbas Aboutalebi
Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Villa Magazine
Contributing Editors: Thomas Meyer Weiser, Hosna Pourhashemi

 

The Villa as a Reflection of Imagination
Since antiquity, the villa has been a building type closely associated with literary and contemplative pursuits, embodying the ideal of otium—a life of reflection and creativity.¹ It exemplifies how architecture can manifest an imaginary paradise on earth, serving as a physical realisation of literary and cultural ideals.² This interplay between literature and architecture highlights their shared role in shaping human aspirations, offering retreats where creativity thrives.³ By recognizing that these dreams often precede their built counterparts, we appreciate the timeless dialogue between imagination and reality. At its core, the villa is a manifesto of ‘the good life’⁴; whereas housing is driven by necessity, shelter, and mass production, the villa is defined by desire, pleasure, and uniqueness.

The villa poses a cultural paradox
The villa’s mythical nature liberates it from the mundane constraints of utility and productivity, making it an ideal canvas for creative phenomena by both patrons and architects.⁵ While this creativity sometimes aligns with trends in taste or fashion, the villa transcends superficiality by articulating cultural concepts and emotions.⁶ It can be framed as a model “With and Against” power, capital, and dominant modes of production.⁷ Over centuries, it has served as a mediator between city and countryside, artifice and nature, formality and informality.⁸ This role underscores the villa’s enduring significance as a symbol of cultural identity and artistic expression.⁹

The Evolution of the Villa around the world
The villa’s evolution reflects centuries of cultural, social, and architectural transformation.¹⁰ While it holds a central place in Western architectural history, it also has long roots in Persian, Greek, and Egyptian civilizations.¹¹ In Eastern traditions, villa culture is approached through comparative studies with Western models. Notably, Japan exhibits similar aesthetic principles in its villa traditions.¹²
In Persian history, villas were closely tied to Bagh (garden) ideology, symbolizing paradise on earth through geometric layouts and natural elements.¹³ Roman villas, including the villa rustica and villa urbana, epitomized intellectual and spiritual retreats away from urban chaos. It is described as a harmonious blend of architecture and nature, inspiring later generations.¹⁴
During the Renaissance, the villa was reimagined through classical revivalism, establishing it as a symbol of humanist ideals and architectural grandeur.¹⁵ The 20th century saw modernist architects redefine the villa as a typology for experimentation. After World War II, it became a laboratory for new design philosophies. Today, villas continue to evolve globally, blending tradition with contemporary innovations in technology and design.¹⁶

The Transformation of the Villa in Iran
Qajar Era Innovations (1796–1925)
The Qajar era marked a transformative period in Iranian architecture and urban development, shaped by interactions with the West.¹⁷ Reinterpretation of the kooshk and the villa reflected broader cultural, environmental, and political shifts. Although the concept of the villa was imported from Western traditions, its integration into the Bagh framework demonstrated adaptation to Iran’s unique context. Villas built for Qajar elites, pavilions within foreign embassies in Tehran, and ambassadorial residences exemplified this synthesis.
A key catalyst for innovation was the establishment of Dar al-Fonun in 1851 by Amir Kabir, Iran’s first modern educational institution, which introduced Western sciences, techniques, and architectural concepts.¹⁸

First Pahlavi Period (1925–1941)
During the first Pahlavi period, Iranian architects blended modernist principles with traditional elements. Gabriel Guevrekian, a founding member of CIAM, influenced this era.¹⁹ Architects like Vartan Hovanessian, alongside foreign collaborators such as Roland Marcel Dubrulle and Maxime Siroux, produced significant villas. Key projects include Villa Panahi, Villa Siasi, and Villa Firouz. Lesser-known works, like Villa Turan, built for the Queen, remain subjects of historical inquiry.

Second Pahlavi Period (1941–1979)
This era marked rapid modernisation and architectural transformation, shaped by domestic traditions and international movements. International Congresses on architecture in the 1970s, supported by Empress Farah Pahlavi, elevated Iran’s global architectural profile.
A generation of architects—including Paul Abkar, Mohsen Foroughi, Hooshang Seyhoon, Nezam Ameri, and Abdol-Aziz Farmanfarmaian—merged Beaux-Arts principles with Iranian identity. Notable projects include Villa Namazi (1957) by Gio Ponti and the Pearl Palace (Shams Palace, 1972–73) designed by Taliesin Associated Architects, affiliated with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.²⁰
Academic institutions produced influential architects such as Hossein Amanat, Iraj Kalantari, Ali Akbar Saremi, Farmarz Sharifi, and Mehdi Alizadeh, who designed iconic villas reflecting the era’s dynamism. The period’s legacy balances modernisation and cultural heritage, laying foundations for contemporary Iranian architecture.
Post-Revolutionary and Post-War Periods (1979–Present)
The Islamic Revolution of 1979 profoundly disrupted architectural practice in Iran. Focus shifted toward low-tech housing and utilitarian structures, reflecting new ideological priorities, while economic challenges and war brought many modern projects to a halt. During this period, Iran lacked a supporting architectural association, and many architects left the country. Very few villas and experimental houses gained international recognition during these years. The return of Bahram Shirdel in the late 1980s marked a pivotal moment, inspiring a new generation of architects and small-scale ateliers to trust their talents and convince clients of the value of professional architectural services. US-educated architects such as Mehrdad Iravanian and Firouz Firouz also joined this emerging movement.
Very few villas and experimental houses gained international recognition during this period. Since 2000, however, projects by this new generation—including Darvish-Abad Villa (Pouya Khazaeli), and Mosha Villa (Shahin Heidari)—have achieved international acclaim. Among the most influential contemporary figures is Alireza Taghaboni, whose experimental approach to materials and innovative spatial concepts has come to define a new architectural discourse.
This edition of Villa Magazine serves as a monograph on Taghaboni’s villa projects with NextOffice, featuring built, unbuilt, and conceptual typologies classified as urban, semi-urban, suburban, and prototype. Featured projects include: Villa for a Friend, Amir Villa, Kouhsar Villa, Sharifi-Ha House, Villa for an Actor, Villa for Younger Brother, Shenasi House, Safadasht Dual, Dehkadeh Villa, Villa for Older Brother, Tirgar Villa, Guyim Vault House, Astalak Villa, Chahartaqi Villa, Nefaar, Shahrak Villa, Tashmir Villa, The Gable Villa, Inter-Pier Residence, Baneh Residence, Kushk Villa, Villa Iranzamin, The “Central” Courtyard Villa and The Inward House.
The publication also includes an in-depth conversation, “Villa as the Laboratory of Architecture”, between Alireza Taghaboni, Amir Abbas Aboutalebi and Professor Ercan Ağırbaş (GUtech University, Oman), along with commentary by Dr. Phil. Negar Hakim. This collection highlights Taghaboni’s dual role as a visionary practitioner and influential educator, shaping contemporary Iranian architecture.

Footnotes
1. Pierre de la Ruffinière du Prey, The Villas of Pliny from Antiquity to Posterity (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994), 15.
2. James S. Ackerman, “The Villa: Form and Ideology,” Perspecta 22 (1986): 8–19.
3. Raymond Williams, The Country and the City (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1973), 67.
4. Iñaki Ábalos, The Good Life: A Manifesto for the Architecture of the New Century (Barcelona: Gustavo Gili, 2016).
5. Mark Girouard, Life in the English Country House (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1978).
6. Ibid.
7. Hamed Khosravi, AA School interview with Amir Abbas Aboutalebi, Villa Magazine, Aug. 4, 2025.
8. James S. Ackerman, “The Villa as Paradigm,” Perspecta 22 (1986): 8–19.
9. Ibid.
10. Anthony Vidler, The Architectural Uncanny (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1992).
11. James S. Ackerman, The Villa: Form and Ideology of Country Houses (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990).
12. Riichi Miyake, interview with Amir Abbas Aboutalebi, Villa Magazine, Jul. 19, 2022.
13. Hosna Pourhashemi, PHD Thesis: Lost Paradise: The Influence of Chahar Bagh on Modern European Landscape Architecture, ETH Zurich, 2021.
14. Pliny the Younger, Letters 2.17.
15. James S. Ackerman, “The Renaissance Villa,” The Art Bulletin 45 (1973)
16. William J. R. Curtis, Modern Architecture Since 1900, 4th ed.
17. Vahid Vahdat, “Qajar Era Architecture and Urbanism in Tehran,” op. cit.
18. Mohammad Gharipour, Histories of City and State in the Persian Gulf: Manama since 1800 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
19. Cyrus Schayegh, The Middle East and the Making of the Modern World (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2017).
20. Christiane Crasemann Collins, “Modern Architecture in Iran,” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 31, no. 1 (1972).

 

 

Amir Abbas Aboutalebi
CEO & Editor-in-Chief