Seyyed Mohsen Mirheydar Studied 1969-1970

Arguably one of the notable figures in the contemporary Iranian architectural scene, Seyyed Mohsen Mirheydar was born in 1936 in Kermanshah, Iran. He studied at the Fine Arts Faculty in Tehran University, from which he obtained an MA in Architecture (1964). Alongside his studies Mirheydar also gained experience by designing and working on several projects in Iran, including the Cinema Rivoli (1962) in Tehran, the Takestan Motel and Restaurant (1967) in Takestan, and the Tractor Assembly Plan Administration Building (1969) in Tabriz. In 1969-70 he enrolled at the Architectural Association, London, where he completed a Diploma in Planning and Urban Design, attending the AA’s Department of Development and Tropical Studies for approximately one third of the time. His graduate thesis at the AA was on the “Problems of Rural Settlements in Iran” and was considered by his tutors as an excellent and thorough piece of research. By 1983, he had returned to Iran and co-founded PIRRAZ Consulting, a firm offering architectural, planning, and engineering services. Although he went on to participate in a long list of buildings, many of which were award-winning, two of his most significant projects are the National Library in Tehran (1996-2004) and the Extension to the Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh, Qom (1999 - 2005). The library, set on a hilly site, is designed as a single, compact structure that is terraced in a pyramid-like manner, and which integrates well into its landscape with a network of pathways, courts, and water channels. The building strikes a balance between being technically well-executed and being comforting space bathed in natural light. The latter project, in Qom, is a new complex containing prayer halls, a courtyard, and a restaurant, attached to a 9th century shrine. The structure combines white concrete structural elements with intricate finishing and craftsmanship including brickwork, inscriptions, tiling, and mirrorwork and is appreciated for its ability to both respect its historic surroundings and maintain a sacred sense of calm, while crafting a new and locally sensitive identity for civic buildings in Iran. Interestingly, both buildings were nominated for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2007. Outside of his practice, Mirheydar appears to have taught urban and regional economics at the University of Tehran (2010-2013).

• Sources
  Architectural Association Student Register 1945‐1972, AA Archives
• Letter of recommendation for Mohsen Mirheydar, written by Patrick Wakely, 2nd April, 1971. Private collection.
• A Critical History of Contemporary Architecture 1960-2010, By Elie G. Haddad and David Rifkind, 2016, Taylor & Francis, page 353
• Piraz Consulting, ‘About’ webpage. Accessed 27th June, 2025: www.pirraz.com/eng/About.aspx
• Contemporary Architecture of Iran (CAOI), ‘Mohsen Mirheydar Profile page’. Accessed 27th June, 2025: https://www.caoi.ir/en/projects/item/588-mohsen-mirheydar.html
• Archoma Online Media Archive, ‘Mohsen Mirheydar’. Accessed 27th June, 2025: http://www.archoma.com/persons/post/3081/%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%86-%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%AD%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%B1
• Personal correspondence X and Golnar Tajdar, 2025.