Dear Mr. Ivy,
As an advocate of the best architecture magazine, Architectural Record, I am highly devastated. We are the voice of all architects and an international organization the AIA. I am dissatisfied as a student, as a protégé and as an American Iranian. As Architects practicing in the United States , we are ambassadors to the rest of the world. It is our responsibility, that we use THE common variable, architecture, to unite all of us through out the world.
Having the opportunity to travel to majority of the Middle East, and visiting all the well recognized architectural cities, I was disenchanted when I read the August 2008, pg 32, issue. Ironically, when I was traveling to Iran, magazine clinched in my arm, embracing each article and absorbing each word, all biased and prejudice notion of us as American was shattered. We as Americans, and an American magazine and media have failed to show them [ Iranian ] that we are not inclined to be influenced by all the politics. We as an organization have done injustice to the next generation of architects, failing to inform them that not all Middle eastern towers are in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar [which is not complete], rather the 12th tallest tower in the world huffers over the skylines of Tehran, at 1,427 foot tall and is named the Milad Tower. This [Tower ] is the next step of pushing the boundaries of “Modern Islamic Architecture”, the octagonal base, symbolizing traditional Persian Architecture.
I am in anguish, that an auspicious international magazine [Architectural Record] would miss out on a ostentatious opportunity like this. However, we still have another prospect to broaden our horizons, extend our arms, and reach out and embrace the new monument of the Middle East, IKIA airport, a building that resonates and boldly strikes the landscape.
Best,
Maryam Eskandari
Phoenix, Arizona
