Designing an Urban Eden: French Aesthetics and Iranian Vision
The design of the park was entrusted to French landscape designer Joufe, along with several Iranian collaborators, who aimed to create a balanced layout of nature, recreation, and culture. The park’s northern sections were allocated for cultural and public buildings, while the southern part was developed as a traditional landscaped park.
On Thursday, October 2, 1964, the first stone of what was then called Farah Park was laid in a ceremonial event attended by Mohammad Reza Shah and Farah Pahlavi. The construction continued for nearly two years under the supervision of the Tehran Municipality, and by 1966, the park officially opened to the public. The creation of the park aligned with the broader Pahlavi vision of elevating Tehran to the standards of global capitals, integrating aesthetics, education, and leisure into one holistic public space.
A Cultural Epicenter: Museums, Libraries, and the Arts
Laleh Park quickly became more than a green space. The Center for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents established the first children’s library in Iran on a portion of the park’s grounds. This pioneering move reflected the cultural policies of the Pahlavi era, which emphasized the intellectual and artistic growth of younger generations.