Iranian architect wins 2A Continental Architectural Award for restoring 19th-century house

TEHRAN – Iranian architect Shima Shaigan has been awarded the prestigious first-place gold prize in the Restoration category at the 2A Continental Architectural Awards 2024 for her remarkable work on the Rozas House, a 250-year-old historical building in Kashan, central Iran.

Held in Dubai, the 2A Continental Architectural Awards celebrate innovative, contextually rooted architectural projects across Asia. This year’s theme, “Innovative Contextual Architecture Across Continents,” highlighted designs that harmonize with the cultural, social, and geographical contexts of their origins.

Shaigan’s two-year project transformed Rozas House, an elegant Qajar-era residence, into a boutique hotel while preserving its historical integrity. The restoration involved collaboration with experts, including traditional restoration master Seyyed Akbar Heli, and a team comprising Kourosh Naibifar, Hosna Shahvardi, Yasmin Khoramabadi, and Elmira Ramezani.

Rozas House owners Zeynab Azizi and Alireza Safakish expressed pride in the achievement, stating, “This award is an honor for Kashan and this historic residence. Our efforts aimed to preserve a cultural heritage while contributing to the tourism economy of Kashan.”

Earlier this year, Shaigan, a graduate of the University of Tehran’s Faculty of Fine Arts, won first place in the Preservation and Restoration category at Iran’s 16th Architecture Awards. Her recent honor at the 2A Awards underscores her commitment to blending heritage with innovation.

The annual 2A Continental Architectural Awards serve as a platform to honor architects who address modern architectural challenges and enrich cultural landscapes, fostering a global exchange of ideas and expertise.

Delightful oasis city

Many travelers opt to bypass Kashan on their journeys between Tehran, Isfahan, and Yazd, but this delightful oasis city on the edge of the Dasht-e Kavir is one of Iran’s most alluring destinations. The city not only boasts a cluster of architectural wonders and a UNESCO-recognized garden, but it also offers some of central Iran’s best traditional hotels.

During the Seljuk period (1051–1220) Kashan became famous for its textiles, pottery and tiles, reaching high levels of accomplishment in each of these cottage industries. Today, it is more widely known as a major center for the production of rose water, which is sold at outlets around the main tourist attractions and dedicated stores in the bazaar.

AM