Azadi Tower

Azadi Tower stands in the middle of a vast traffic circle at Tehran's western approach, an arch that splits and lifts into a tower. It was completed in 1971 for the celebrations of 2,500 years of Iranian monarchy, and was first called Shahyad, meaning roughly “in memory of the shahs”. After the revolution of 1979 it was renamed Azadi, “freedom”.

The architect, Hossein Amanat, was still in his twenties when his design won the competition. He drew on the whole Iranian building tradition at once: the parabolic arch recalls Sasanian vaults such as Taq Kasra, while the faceted panels above it fold like the muqarnas, the honeycomb vaulting of Islamic-era domes. The tower is about 45 metres high and clad in thousands of pieces of pale stone cut to fit like a puzzle.

Inside, stairs and lifts climb to a viewing platform, and a museum occupies the basement. Outside, the square has been the stage for half a century of Iranian public life, from state parades to football celebrations. Its silhouette appears on everything from stamps to shop signs, which makes it easy to forget how strange and new it looked in 1971: a piece of modernist geometry that was also an argument about history.