This cafe in the Iranian capital is designed to act as a semi-public venue in the city, where open gathering spaces are starting to become popular again after years of heavy policing. The cafe in Tehran ‘s Mirdamad neighbourhood was designed by Sanaz Ghaemmaghami and Mojtaba Zaheri of local studio Modaam Architects for the Amir Chocolate coffee shop chain.
«In a megalopolis like Tehran the public sphere gradually fades, affected by political and social factors,» said the architects. «The Amir Chocolate + Urban Cafe is an attempt to create public space in the heart of Tehran›s dense
urban context.»
The cafe features a removable glass frontage that allows the interior to extend onto the adjacent pavement. These glass partitions are fixed to a track in the ceiling so they can be entirely removed to one side or set back to form a screen that exposes part of the interior to the street.
Tehran ‘s public spaces became unpopular for socialising after the repression of post-election protests in 2009 and the subsequent heavy policing of public codes of conduct, like the wearing of veils outside the home. Many Iranians chose to visit each other at home instead. But with the election of a moderate president and the signing this year of a nuclear agreement with the USA, Tehranis are spending time out of their homes again, according to the New York Times.
