Pearl Palace (;

Romanize In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...

d: ''kakh-e Morvarid / Kāx-e Morvārid''), also known as Shams Palace (;

d: ''kakh-e Shams / Kāx-e Šams'') is an estate in Iran, designed by

Taliesin Associated Architects Taliesin Associated Architects was an architectural firm founded by apprentices of Frank Lloyd Wright to carry on his architectural vision after his death in 1959. The firm disbanded in 2003. It was headquartered at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, ...

(Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation) on instructions from princess

Shams Pahlavi Shams Pahlavi (; – ) was an Iranian royal of the Pahlavi dynasty, who was the elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. During her brother's reign she was the president of the Red Lion and Sun Society. Biography Princ ...

, elder sister of

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980) was the last List of monarchs of Iran, Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 to 1979. He succeeded his father Reza Shah and ruled the Imperial State of Iran until he was overthrown by the ...

, the last Shah of Iran. It was built in the early 1970s and is located in the

Mehrshahr Mehrshahr () is an affluent area located south-west of Karaj city in Alborz province, Iran. History In 1960s the area was mostly made up of large apple orchards which was designed and built by Ali Saroukhani and owned by the members of the Pahl ...

neighborhood, in

Karaj Karaj (; ) is a List of cities in Iran by province, city in the Central District (Karaj County), Central District of Karaj County, Alborz province, Alborz province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. Earl ...

City,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

Background

The Taliesin Associated Architects (Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation) had three buildings built in Iran which include the Damavand Higher Educational Institute (presently known as Payam-e Nour University's Tehran campus), the summer residence of Shams known as Mehrafarin Palace in Chalus (presently occupied by the local police), and the most prestigious, the Pearl Palace. The Taliesin Associated Architects,

William Wesley Peters William Wesley Peters (June 12, 1912 – July 17, 1991) was an American architect and engineer, apprentice to and protégé of his father-in-law Frank Lloyd Wright. Early life Wes, as he was known to friends and associates, was born in Terre Hau ...

, Amery-Kamooneh-Khosravi Consulting Architects of Tehran all served as architects for the project and Thomas Casey served as the civil engineer. The interior design and furniture was designed by

John deKoven Hill John deKoven Hill (1920–1996) was an American architect, honorary chairman of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and editorial director of ''House Beautiful'' magazine. Biography Hill decided to become an architect early on in his life, but ...

and

Cornelia Brierly Cornelia Brierly (1913–2012) was an American architect and one of the first five women to study architecture at Carnegie Tech. She was the first female fellow of Frank Lloyd Wright in Taliesin, 1934. Life Cornelia Brierly was born April 12, 191 ...

. The landscape design was done by Francis Nemtin. The palace was built on roughly of rolling hills and featured an artificial lake. The building is around and made of concrete, with two main domes and a "

ziggurat A ziggurat (; Cuneiform: 𒅆𒂍𒉪, Akkadian: ', D-stem of ' 'to protrude, to build high', cognate with other Semitic languages like Hebrew ''zaqar'' (זָקַר) 'protrude'), ( Persian: Chogha Zanbilچغازنجبیل) is a type of massive ...

" style structure, all connected by stairs and a large ramp. Throughout the structure circular patterns are highlighted. The building space included an office, living room, family dining room, a swimming pool, a cinema, a "rare bird hall", and bedrooms.

After the revolution

After the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

, the

Mostazafan Foundation The Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution () formerly Bonyad-e Mostazafan va Janbazan (Foundation of the Oppressed and Disabled or "MFJ") is a charitable ''bonyad'', or foundation, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the second-largest commerci ...

seized all assets owned by the royal family, including Shams Palace. The majority of the complex was occupied by a local

Baseej The Basij (, lit. ''The Mobilization'') or Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin (, lit. ''Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed''), is a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of its five ...

unit who neglected its upkeep. The building was recognized as a cultural heritage only in 2002, and registered by the

Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran () is an educational and research institution overseeing numerous associated museum complexes throughout Iran. It is administered and funded by the Government of Iran. It was f ...

(Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization), who took control of portions of the building due to its historical significance. Small parts were opened to the public (in 2015) as a result of pressure from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism. It is currently in need of repairs; in November 2020, the building was scheduled to undergo rehabilitation work. The restoration was estimated to cost $8–$13 million (300–500 billion rials) in 2017.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearl Palace 1966 establishments in Iran Residential buildings completed in 1966 Palaces in Iran Royal residences in Iran Buildings and structures in Alborz province

Background

After the revolution

See also

References

External links