Dariush Borbor

Dariush Borbor (, born April 28, 1934), is an Iranian-French architect, urban planner, designer, sculptor, painter, researcher, and writer. In 1963, Borbor established his own firm under the name of Borbor Consulting Architects, Engineers, City Planners. In 1976, he set up Sphere Iran, a consortium of four specialist consulting firms, and proposed a comprehensive national environmental master plan for Iran. In 1992, he created the Research Institute and Library of Iranian Studies (RILIS) where he is the director.

Borbor is a respected contributor to modern architecture and Iranian studies. He has been described as one of the avant-garde architects of the modern movement, named by some as "father of modern urban planning", and a key figure in the promotion and creation of the High Urban Planning Council (1966, ). He was described by Swiss architectural critic Anthony Krafft as "one of the most innovative architects who is perhaps on the way of creating a Persian architectural style of the 20th century". French architectural critic Michel Ragon defined him as "the architect in search of a modern Iranian architectural style". He has won many competitions and received several international prizes and awards, including the Gold Mercury International from Italy, 50 Outstanding Architects of the World from the Second Belgrade Triennial of World Architecture, and the Pahlavi Royal Award.

Early life

Dariush Borbor was born in April 1934. His father was Gholam Hossein khan Borbor , one of the directors of the Iranian branch of the former Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), congressman, ambassador-at-large, and one of the founding members of the Grand Lodge of Iran. His family belonged to the Borbor tribe, a tribe scattered across Iran, which was largely unknown until he later brought attention to the tribe and gave much information. Borbor had his primary schooling in Iran. At the age of thirteen, he moved to the United Kingdom for his secondary education, after which he obtained his General Certificate of Education from University of Cambridge (1952), a Bachelor of Architecture (1958) and a Master of Civic Design (1959) both from the University of Liverpool. He then went to specialize in the architecture of hot dry regions at the University of Geneva (1961) under the direction of the French architect and urban planner Eugène Beaudouin.

Career

While working for his PhD, he collaborated concurrently with the Swiss urban planner Professor Arnold Hoechel and the architects Frei Hunziker, Architectes Associés on several projects, including the first automatic bowling alleys in Meyrin Commune, Geneva, and Beirut, Lebanon. As President and managing director, he developed and expanded the business to a large multidisciplinary organization with several in-house departments which included: architecture, urban planning, environment, structure, mechanics, electricity and interior design.

A few months prior to the 1978 Iranian Islamic Revolution, Borbor moved to Paris, France where he founded the Borbor International Management Consultants (BIMC) to Architects, Engineers, Planners. BIMC offered consultancy services in design, management and documentation to architectural and planning firms. In 1984, he moved to Los Angeles where he was involved in some architectural consultancy and research on Iranian and Persianate subjects. He is a Consultant and active contributor to the Encyclopædia Iranica.

Prizes and awards 1958, Working Drawing Award, Architects' Journal, London, UK

1965, First Prize, design of Persian Pavilion, Los Angeles 1975, Gold Mercury International Award for project management, Rome, Italy 1976, NIOC Award, seaside resort, Mahmoudabad, Caspian coast, Iran 1976, First Prize, 2200-unit shopping mall (Bazaar Reza, ) in Mashhad, Iran 1976, First Prize, monument, Mashhad, Iran. 1977, First Prize, Temple of the Grand Lodge of Iran, Tehran, Iran. 1988, 50 Outstanding Architects of the World, the Second Belgrade Triennial of World Architecture 2020, Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) 2022, Dariush Borbor ranked as one of the most influential academic alumni of the University of Liverpool. 2023, University of Liverpool 2023 Alumni Award.

Selected projects and writings

Architecture 1967, The Ice Palace recreation centre, Pahlavi Avenue, Tehran 1971, Monument Mashhad (demolished in 2010) 1976, Museum and library, Mashhad, Iran

Regional planning 1963–1966, Nowshahr-Chalus Regional Plan 1964–1965, Caspian Coast Regional Plan 1968, Kakhk post-earthquake reconstruction 1976, Bazaar Reza shopping mall, Mashhad