Project
Hotel Nilufar

Category 
Best Project of Public Building or Facility

About the project
Hotel Nilufar is a proof-of-concept project that explores AI image generation algorithms in its use of architectural design. The advent of this new technology allows for designers to design imagery through text based prompts and guide its iterations towards the designer's vision. Hotel Nilufar is the product of exploring the intersection of traditional islamic architecture and natural morphologies. The overal geometry is inspired by the divinity and purity of the lily flower. It's expression of materiality is a mix of weaved branches that form a mashrabiya (arabic shades) exterior. Persian/Arabic motifs are scattered around the interior, with vaulted ceilings that feature engraved pattern.
With reference to traditional architecture and use of novel AI technology, the hotel is a reimagined contemporary expression of traditional styles of the orient.

Location
Chitgar Lake, Tehran, Iran

Project design year
2022

Applicant and author of the project
Tim Fu, London-based architectural designer who specialises in advanced computational design and AI technology. He is part of Zaha Hadid Architects in London, where he specializes in algorithmic design at ZH CODE (Computational research group) working on various architectural developments around the globe. He also runs a digital workshop at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Status of the project
Conceptual design

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