Malcolm Bradbury, a British academic and novelist, once described art as “a way of coping with the world by defining it in detail. Having been abandoned in 1978 following the Islamic revolution of Iran, and re-designed in the midst of a global pandemic, the Argo Contemporary Art Museum became a symbol of hope during times of extreme uncertainty. Today, concrete rooftops illuminated from below, appear to float above the recently opened museum, which welcomes a new generation of emerging artists and art enthusiasts to the heart of Tehran. Through the restoration, lighting unified the historic structure with the new addition, accentuating the romance between old versus new with an up-lit skylight and roof structure, perforated brick that glows from within, flexible lighting for rotating exhibitions and an unconventional approach to art lighting.

Location: Tehran, Iran

Type: Contemporary Art Museum and Cultural Center

Completed: 2022

Architect: ASA North

Photographer: Deed Studio
Press: Dezeen , Aga Khan Award, 2022 Architecture Project of the Year, Wallpaper, Architectural Record, Arch Daily, PINUpMagazine