Abbas Gharib

As one of the founders of Tenstar Community, a multidisciplinary cultural Association, he is particularly involved with Association's sectors such as cinema, music visual arts and photography beside architecture and urban regeneration. These involvements happen also for designing workshops and events for these disciplines or for being invited as jury in the film festivals such as San Giò Film Festival and for being active in workshops such as that extraordinary one with Iranian Director Abbas Kiarostami, who was, awarded by Tenstar Community Cinematography Prize 2015: “Why Cinema”

The Pritzker Architecture Prize of 2014 awarded to the Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban, a former superstars, takes him to be among the firsts to move towards the Social architecture and to share the new trends in architectural planning. This was an alarm bell for superstars of architecture to think about the life style of Social architecture instead of the personal styles.

“Arch. Abbas Gharib”, Abitare Magazine 509, Milan – Italy: Abitare Segesta, 2011, 25;

Dell’Osso, Guido R. “Edilpro, Architettura bioclimatica e sostenibilità nella casa per i paesi del Mediterraneo”, Casarano (Le) Italy: Il tacco d’Italia Editore, November 2009, Volume, Cover, 73–79;

“Progetti per il mobile 2008”, Dossier Compo Mobili, Furniture Design Magazine, European furniture components 53, Snatarcangelo Romagna (RN): Magioli SpA.Editore, January 2009, 68;

Gharib, Abbas. interviewed by Castelluci, Alessandra. “equilibrio di architettura (tra due mondi)”, Studio Gharib – Verona, In Cariera & Professioni Magazine 2, Bologna – Italy: Golfarelli Editore, June 2008, 36–39;

Candani, Elena. “Meeting between two worlds”, L’Arca, the international magazine of architecture, design and visual communication 220, Milan – Italy: l’Arca S.p.A. Editori, December 2006, 48–53;

Arnaboldi, Mario Antonio. “Architecture: Dialogues and Letters – 12, Ad Abbas Gharib per l’Headquarters dell’ Iran Oil Industry a Tehran", Milan – Italy: Mimesis, 2004, 185, 203–204;

Gharib, Abbas. Interviewed by Ahmad Zohadi. “For a methodology of project. A tool toward the future – An interview with Abbas Gharib, Iranian Architect”, Tehran – Iran, Architecture, Construction and E-Sciences Magazine 1, Contemporary challenges, architecture and thought issue, Tehran, Zolal Editors, November 2004, cover, 24–29;

Arnaboldi, Mario Antoni. “Abbas Gharib, due mondi due lingue”, L’Arca, the international magazine of architecture, design and visual communication No. 181, Milan – Italy, l’Arca S.p.A. Editori, May 2003, cover, 68–71;

Gharib, Abbas. interviewed by Grego, Susanna. “cronache di design a Verona" in the Magazine of the Architectural Association of the province of Verona 57, Verona – Italy: Studio 12, June 2002, cover, 31–33

Gharib, Abbas. interviewed by Grego, Susanna. “Ozio Creativo sarà il lavoro del futuro?” in the Magazine of the Architectural Association of the province of Verona, No. 62, Verona – Italy: Studio 12, April 2002, 34 – 35;

“Ricognizioni Design 360° Magazine 14, Oggetto locale Issue, Verona – Italy Grafiche Aurora, 2001, cover, 27

Gharib, Abbas. Verticelli, Danilo. Villa, Sandra. Abitare il tempo, Volume, “Ten years of research, experimentation and new perspectives”, Bologna – Italy: Grafiche Zanini, 1995, 221;

“Abbas Gharib – Italy, International Architectural Competition for the new National Museum of Korea" Volume, Seoul: Hae-jak Kang / Ki Moon Dang Editors, 1995, 362

Dorfles, Gillo. “Events”, Ottagono Magazine 110, Review of Abitare il tempo, Milan – Italy,: CO.P.IN.A., March 1994, 83 – 84,

Gharib,Abbas. Verticelli, Danilo. Villa, Sandra. “Room with a View, Abitare il tempo, volume, Bologna: Grafiche Zanini, 1993, 37–42, 108;

Gharib,Abbas. Verticelli, Danilo. Villa, Sandra. “The neo-eclectic house – projects for the cultural design exhibitions for the Italian furniture fair, Abitare il tempo, volume, Venice – Italy: Arsenale, 1992, 93, 112;

Maffioltti, Serena. “ricerca”, Costruire Magazine 33, Biennale di Venezia issue, Milan – Italy: Abitare Segesta, October 1985, p. 235;

“Abbas Gharib e Sandra Villa – sistemazione di un padiglione Ghadjar presso Tehran”, Architettura nei paesi islamici, Second International Architecture Exhibition, la Biennale, Volume, Venice – Italy: La Biennale di Venezia Editions, 1982, 278;

“Gruppo Ferro”, acts of the national competition: the sun and the habitat for the use of alternative energy in residential and educational buildings, Rome – Italy: Kappa, November 1981, 296 – 299;

“Consultation international pour l'amènagement du quartier des Halles de Paris" Volume, Volume, Paris: Editions du Moniteur, 1981, 377;

“The International Architectural competition”, Art & Architecture Magazine 45/46, Tehran: Art & Architecture Editions April 1978, 119;

“The prize winners of the national competition to design the new headquarters of "Bimeh", the National Insurance Company of Iran", "Art & Architecture Magazine 31/32, Tehran: Art & Architecture Editions, December 1975, 39 – 47;

In 1952, his family moved to a new house in the northern part of the city where he resided until 1960, when he received his diploma from Hadaf high school. In 1958 he made his first visit to Europe, which helped him in his decision to leave his native country definitively and start living in Italy in 1962, where he enrolled to University IUAV of Venice. He stayed in Venice until 1973, taking part in the educational and artistic city life. As a child and later as a student, was talented for geometric and drawing subjects, therefore in adulthood the interest for architecture. In 1972 he married with an Italian architect, Sandra Villa and from that marriage had two children Samì (12 January 1972) now sociologist and Leila (28 February 1983), now musician

He studied architecture at the Università Iuav di Venezia, where in 1969 he became qualified in the urban planning sector in 1969 he never abandoned his interest in architectural projects and design. This dual interest is always evident in his practice. In the Eighties, he shifted from two-dimensional evaluation of projects to three-dimensional evaluation of complex perspectives. This is the most influential topic in his post graduate self-formation, liberating him from the Modernist crisscross grid towards unconfined volumes characterized by transparency, fluidity, flexibility and smooth dynamics curving surfaces.

Gharib became a licensed architect in 1969 and practiced in Venice until 1973. In 1981, from 1974 to 1980, after experiences outside of Italy, in 1981 he opened his office in Verona, Italy, under the name of Studio Gharib, Architecture & Design. As of 2015, Gharib still works at the firm, reinventing the built environment, under the guidance of sustainable and innovative architectural spatiality. The design method in his Studio turned out to be fluid and meta-metric, opposed to abstract methods and metric process of Modernism. In fact, the multiple sequences of spatial sections and the successions of constructive models have replaced the flat and static drawings. The Studio, in collaboration with professional individuals, ventured into a wide range of disciplines, striving to break the boundaries imposed by traditional professional constraints. This unconventional approach to design produced a spirit of independence, reflected in the research and carried out in the works created by the Studio. The forms of spaces and objects are reflected in numerous designs for architectural competitions, professional projects and buildings, evidencing true multi-disciplinary approach.

In May 1958, at the end of an extensive travel through the main European Capitals and cities, Gharib, then aged sixteen, made his first stay to Italy, as well as to Rome, where he was deeply impressed by the beauty of this city and the richness of its art and architecture heritage. In 1960, therefore, he returned to Europe, principally to Italy, moving through the peninsula from north to south and finally to Venice. The beauty of Venice and its cultural and artistic lifestyle, in the presence of creative figures like Peggy Guggenheim, Lucio Fontana, Allen Ginsberg, Ezra Pound, Carlo Scarpa in the Sixties and Seventies, influenced him to such an extent that he decided to settle there, moving away from his original area of intellectual life in Tehran: a decision which was basic to his consecutive formation.

Abbas Gharib, (born 16 June 1942), is an Italian-based architect of Iranian origin. His approach to planning and design, which goes beyond the traditional modernism or contemporary format, has made him well known as an influential figure in the research, practice and teaching of post-contemporary art and architecture.