Dariush Borbor, 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 where he is the director. Borbor is widely regarded as one of the avant-garde architects of the modern movement in Iran; a pioneer of modern urban planning, named by some as "father of modern urban planning", and a key figure in the promotion and creation of the High Urban Planning Council. He was described by Swiss architectural critic :de:Anthony Krafft|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"; and French architectural critic :fr:Michel Ragon|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.
While working for his PhD, he collaborated concurrently with the Swiss urban planner Professor :de:Arnold Hoechel|Arnold Hoechel and the architects Frei and Hunziker on several projects, including the first automatic bowling alleys in Meyrin Commune, Geneva, and Beirut, Lebanon. In 1961, he returned to Tehran as Deputy Technical Director of Iran-Rah, the largest Construction Co. of its time in Iran. In 1963, he created his own firm under the name of Borbor Consulting Architects, Engineers, City Planners. 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. The firm employed a large number of highly qualified multi-national staff and included branch offices in several major cities in Iran. A few months prior to the 1978 Iranian Islamic Revolution, Borbor moved to Paris, France where he founded the Borbor International Management Consultants 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. Borbor returned to Iran in 1991 and established the Research Institute and Library of Iranian Studies, a non-profit, non-political, private and independent institution dedicated to the promotion of research in the field of Iranian and Persianate studies with special emphasis on novel and creative research
Prizes and awards
1958, Working Drawing Award, Architects' Journal, London, UK
1959, First Prize, ideas competition for a Liverpool neighbourhood, Department of Civic Design, University of Liverpool, UK
1965, First Prize, design of Persian Pavilion, Los Angeles
