Abdol-Aziz Mirza Farmanfarmaian - Biography

Biography

Abdol Aziz Farman-Farmaian was born is Shiraz in 1920 as the tenth son to Prince Abdol Hossein Mirza Farman-Farma, at the time Governor General of the province of Shiraz. In 1928, at the age of 8 he was sent to school in France, where he remained for his primary, and secondary school at Lyée Michelet in Paris until 1938. A brief trip to Iran during the short summer of 1935 was his first contact as an adolescent with his family.

His Baccalaureate degree was received in 1938. Abdol Aziz Farman-Farmaian and three other brothers were extremely lucky that their father, Prince Abdol Hossein Mirza, Had organized for them as guardian Mr. Desiré Roustan a leading French philosopher and writer. They in fact owe to him a happy childhood and excellent education away from home. Architectural studies were initiated in the Ecole Speciale d’Architecture, where he started to prepare for the Beaux Arts School. The onset of WWII broke the continuity of his studies and had to leave for Iran in 1940 where he stayed until 1945. During this period of worldwide uncertainty he worked at different jobs such as: Teheran Municipality, Karnsaks, and the Ministry of Culture (Vezarate Pishehonar).

In 1942 he married with Leila Gharagozlou and formed a family having a son. After the end of WWII Abdol Aziz Farman-Farmaian came back to Paris with his family to continue his studies and was admitted at the Atelier of Mr. Nicot at the world famous Ecole des Beaux Arts where he received his degree in 1950. The final project presented as his thesis was the design for a modern caravanserai to be situated in southern Iran. This project received the prize for “the best thesis (diploma) of the year.” In 1950 Abdol Aziz Farman-Farmaian moved back to Teheran for good until 1979, where he proceeded to create one of Iran’s most important modern-day architectural legacies.

The initial years- The Razmara period followed by the Mossadegh years- where marked by an unstable political and economical situation. Abdol Aziz Farman-Farmaian started to work as a civil servant at the university of Teheran in the Department of Construction where he became departmental director after a few years. During the same period he was given a professorial chair at the Teheran University school of Architecture (Daneshkadeh Honarhaie Ziba), where he taught students architecture until 1957-8.

In 1954 Abdol Aziz Farman-Farmaian was admitted by the “Plan Organization” as a recognized consultant, At this time when Abdol Aziz Farman-Farmaian designed numerous private residences for his extended relatives, friends and clients. The legal entity that was set up was known as “Moassessehye Abdol Aziz Farman-Farmaian.” In 1976, the company known as “AFFA” Abdol Aziz Farman-Farmaian and Associates was created for the design of the Stadium and in accordance with the directive of the Plan Organization to be associated with younger architects. The new associates were belonged to Mr. Reza Majd and Mr. Farokh Hirbod both graduates from first class American universities. AFFA's associates were increased with the years.

He permanently moved to Paris in 1980 and still lives there today. He is also in close contact with his partner Reza Majd, who still practiced architecture until recently in Palma, Mallorca, Spain.