Amir Ali Sardar Afkhami Information

Amirali Sardar-Afkhami: Iranian Architect
Born: December 22, 1929, Tehran, Iran
Died: December 8, 2020, Paris, France

Early Life and Education
Amirali Sardar-Afkhami was born in Tehran in 1929. At the age of 14, he moved to France to pursue his education. He studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts) in Paris, where he graduated as the top student. In 1963, he earned his Ph.D. in architecture from the same institution.

After completing his studies, he returned to Iran and began teaching at the University of Tehran. However, due to professional disagreements with Hooshang Seyhoun, the head of the architecture department, he left academia and focused entirely on his private architecture firm, Sardar-Afkhami Consulting Engineers.

Career and Architectural Contributions
Sardar-Afkhami was a pioneer of modern Iranian architecture, known for designing significant cultural and governmental buildings. His most famous works include:

Tehran City Theater Complex (1967–1972): One of his most celebrated projects, the City Theater was commissioned by the office of Queen Farah Pahlavi and remains a landmark of Iranian modern architecture. It features a unique circular structure inspired by Persian architectural elements.
New Building of the Iranian Parliament (Designed in 1976, Built 1997–2001): He originally designed the building in 1976, but due to the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the project was delayed. In the 1990s, the Iranian government invited him to return and oversee the construction, but he declined.
Tomb of Sadegh Hedayat, Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris: He designed the tomb of the prominent Iranian writer in one of the world’s most famous cemeteries.
Children’s Orphanage, Tehran
Niavaran Park Pavilion, Tehran
Marriott Hotel (Location unknown)
Snowbird Hotel, Yerevan, Armenia
Isfahan University of Technology Halls
Exile and Life in France
Shortly after designing the new parliament building, Sardar-Afkhami left Iran in the late 1970s due to political and family reasons. He never returned, as Iran underwent the Islamic Revolution. Like many pre-revolution architects, he was affected by the political changes and the Iran-Iraq war.

In the 1990s, the Iranian Ministry of Housing and Urban Development invited him to return and oversee the construction of the parliament building he had designed, but he refused, stating:
“They asked me to come back to Tehran and lead the project since I had originally designed it. But under those circumstances, I declined. I was living and working in France and feared that if I went to Iran, I might not be able to return whenever I wanted.”

He continued to reside and work in Paris until his passing on December 8, 2020, at the age of 91.

Legacy
Sardar-Afkhami is remembered as one of Iran’s most influential modern architects. His designs blended contemporary architectural principles with Persian aesthetics. His Tehran City Theater remains an iconic cultural hub in Iran.