Eight thousand stones of Azadi Tower: how did technology come to the aid of a young architect?

Azadi Tower is not only the product of architecture and the skill of stonecutters; behind the arches and curves of this iconic structure lie complex calculations that were carried out with the help of 1960s-era computers. But how did the computers of that time help assemble thousands of stone pieces into one of Tehran's most enduring structures?

According to Ambassador Arjan, quoted by Ferraro; From a distance, Azadi Tower looks like a stone gate that connects two periods of Iranian architectural history; But the secret of building this building is not only in its long arches and white stones. Behind the view, which today has become one of the most well-known images of Tehran, there are complex engineering calculations that were carried out with the help of computers in the late 1340s; when the computer had not yet become a daily tool for Iranian architects.

The story of Azadi Tower began in 1345; When the design of a memorial building was put up for competition in Tehran. This building was supposed to be a symbol of Iran's history and civilization and present a lasting image of the country on the eve of celebrating the 2500th anniversary of the monarchy. The winner of the competition was Hossein Amanat, a young architect who was only 24 years old at the time and had graduated from Tehran University's Faculty of Fine Arts. His design was not in the form of a tall and conventional column, but as a huge gate that brought the past and the present together in a single structure.

The construction of the building started in 1348 and ended in 1350. The tower, which was first called "Shahyad", was opened on 24 Mehr 1350, equivalent to 16 October 1971. However, what distinguished this structure from an ordinary monument was not just its architectural form; Rather, it was a method used to transform the complex lines of the design into actual pieces of stone.

The main secret lies in this distance between design and execution: how to make a view with multiple curves, intertwined arcs and surfaces that have a different angle and shape in each section, with high precision; That too by using thousands of pieces of stone, each of which must be placed in a specific place?

eight thousand stones; A puzzle that could not be solved with a ruler

In the introduction of Freedom Tower, the number eight thousand is repeated. This number refers to the pieces of white marble that were used to cover the facade of the tower. The stones were procured from the Isfahan region and Qanbar Rahimi, a well-known stone mason and supplier, played a role in their selection and preparation. Rahimi was known as the "Stone Sultan of Iran" due to his extensive knowledge of the country's stone mines and resources.

But eight thousand pieces of stone did not mean eight thousand identical pieces. The facade of the tower consists of surfaces that gradually change direction and meet along the arches and bases of the structure. If the stones were to be cut without careful calculation and simply with the usual measurements of the workshop, the smallest error could appear at the place where the pieces join each other; An error that might not be noticeable on a simple surface, but on the continuous curves and complex geometry of the tower, it disrupts the overall order.

In such a project, the issue was not only the size of each stone; Placement, cutting angle, compatibility with the adjacent piece and its coordination with the general geometry of the building were also important. Each piece had to be part of a bigger picture; The image that started from the architectural map, reached the engineering calculations and finally took shape in the masonry workshop.

This is where the computer came into play. Based on published information about the project, computers were used to calculate the shape of the parts and define the intricate and intertwined surfaces of the tower. This technology allowed designers and engineers to more accurately convert the difficult geometry of the building into executive instructions; A task that was more difficult and time-consuming to do simply by drawing 2D maps and measuring manually.

Of course, one thing should be clarified: the use of computers in this project did not mean the existence of today's 3D software, interactive modeling or automatic printing of parts. The computing technology of that time had many limitations and its role should be understood in the framework of the engineering facilities of the 1340s. The computer was not supposed to make decisions for the architect; It was supposed to make some of the most difficult geometric calculations more accurate and regular.

When the computer came to help the hands of the stonemason

Technology alone did not build the Freedom Tower. The calculations had to be translated into actual parts that could be cut, polished and installed on the structure. At this stage, the skill of master stonemasons was of decisive importance.

Ghafar Davrpaneh Vernosfadrani, a prominent master stonemason, was responsible for the stonework of the project. "Map" company was also the main contractor of the construction of the building, and the executive operations were carried out with the cooperation of architects, engineers and workshop workers. The result of this collaboration was a rare link between computer calculation and manual skill: the computer helped determine the geometry, and the master craftsman had to carefully implement that geometry in the stone.

In fact, each stone was part of a larger set; Jurchini, unlike the usual examples, its parts were not square and rectangular, but were made according to the curves and failures of the architecture. If a part is not properly cut or positioned properly, the final surface finish will suffer. Therefore, the value of computer computing was not only in the speed of operations; These calculations helped coordinate design, construction and installation.

Another interesting point is that the facade stones were not just a decorative cover to be stuck on after the structure was finished. In the construction method of the tower, the stone pieces were connected to the concrete structure of the building and in some parts they also played the role of permanent concrete mold. This feature increases the importance of accuracy in cutting and installation; Because the stones had to be coordinated with the external geometry of the tower and perform their task in the process of building the structure.

In this way, what looks like a unified and smooth form from a distance is the result of coordination between calculations, structural engineering, material selection and human skills. Behind the simple appearance of the tower, there is a network of decisions and measurements that should eventually become a coherent building.

From Sassanid arch to computer calculations

The importance of this technology becomes clearer when we look at the architecture of the tower itself. Hossein Amanat tried to put the architectural elements of different periods of Iran's history together in a new composition. The large middle arch is reminiscent of Sassanid architectural arches, and the upper broken arch refers to the architectural traditions of the Islamic period. The network of lines and foundations that connect these two parts give the building an independent identity; An identity that is neither a reconstruction of a historical work nor a simple imitation of Western architecture.

This historical combination also had its own technical challenge. The curves and lines of the building should be seen next to each other in a natural and harmonious way. The design of such a structure required geometric and engineering calculations, and this complexity made the use of computers an important tool in the construction process.

In projects like this, the difference between a beautiful design and a building that can actually be built is revealed in the details. An architect can sketch the general form on paper, but implementing it on a real scale requires careful calculations, structural checks, and coordination between the various components. Azadi Tower was an example of the connection of these two worlds: architectural imagination on the one hand and technical calculations on the other.

Of course, there is limited published public information about the details of the software, the computer model, and the exact method of transferring the calculations to the workshop. Therefore, it is not possible to claim with certainty that all manufacturing steps were performed with a specific computer system or that each part was extracted directly from a modern digital model. What the available sources confirm is the use of computers to calculate the shape of the stone blocks and help define the tower's complex surfaces.

The construction of the Freedom Tower also shows that the introduction of new technology does not necessarily mean the abandonment of traditional skills. In this project, computer calculation and manual masonry were not pitted against each other; Rather, they were complementary. The machine helped make the calculation more precise, and human power made the result a reality in a hard and durable material.

Azadi Tower was inaugurated on 26 Mehr 1350, but its history did not end with the same ceremony. Shahyad's name was changed to Azadi after the revolution, and the building, which was designed to commemorate a political period, gradually became a symbol with new meanings for different generations of Iranians.

Today, when the image of the tower is seen in photos, videos, and news reports, few people usually think of the thousands of pieces that fit together to make this unified form. However, perhaps the most attractive secret of the Freedom Tower is this: the symbol, which is made of stone and concrete in appearance, is actually the result of the collision of several different worlds; Architecture inspired by history, modern engineering, computer calculations and the skill of craftsmen who had to make every line and curve in a real way.

Computers of the 1340s did not design the Freedom Tower; This was the work of the architect. But they helped solve a problem that would have been much more difficult to implement without precise calculations. Behind this white gate lies a story from a time when computing technology was still in its infancy, but from that time it was able to create the shape of an enduring symbol alongside skilled human hands.