The municipality of Shiraz offered a proposal to the city council to transform Baghe-e-Farzaneh, a 21,000-hectare property to a functional commercial space. This transformation is not only a scheme to bring revenue but it also serves as a molding stone to a new generation of high-rises and modernity into the province. Shiraz suffers from high population density within low rise areas; this is true throughout most of the city, where almost no high rise residential or commercial buildings are seen.

This scheme also has a wider vision in scope responding to the cities need of a true “downtown core” with an actual “Sky Line”. The site is situated in central Shiraz, adjacent to Zand blv. This area is dedicated mostly to city services and many medical and pharmaceutical clinics, however educational facilities, commercial spaces and hotels are also evident nearby. With strong city transportation services and a newly built metro line beneath, the variety of functions give a definite potential to the rising of a great “city core”. Following this idea Baghe-e-Farzaneh will be the starting stroke on a sky line yet to be drawn.

The proposed towers with a height of 25 and 20 floors respectively sit on the two opposite corners of the site, maximizing the buildings in-between space, this space is highly functional as it is covered mostly by hard landscape, sitting areas, water features, potential gathering and event spaces with commercial spaces underneath in the basement level connected to the metro line, functional even after hours. Farther in response to this functional city space is a genius method of raising the buildings so that their footprint (ground floor coverage) is efficiently reduced and, minimized only to the buildings core.

The overall concept is inspired by Shiraz’s Famous Cedar Tree. This notion is visible in the impression of the buildings form and in its high efficacy in terms of sustainability within all functions of design, circulation, material and construction.

Despite what has been mentioned above, green activists have held a human chain around the site on two or more occasions objecting to the construction of a molding stone to a new generation of high rise developments within the region. False propaganda has helped to intensify the matter into what is now a concern of the past. The Tehran times for example in quote:

“The garden is a public property where people could freely enjoy their evening walk with their families or picnic out on holidays. It is a site where the town residents can reflect on memorable moments and connect with their past and a relaxing place for the future generations to come.”

However this garden is not a public property and, in-fact it is fenced all around its perimeter and certainly no one can enter for an enjoyable walk or a picnic on holidays. It has always been this way and therefore even past recognitions are highly improbable. In any case controversy is given where huge undertakings take place, where huge steps forward are taken to at the very least match the pace of the developing world.