Unveiling the Modernist's Haven: A Conversation with Alireza Razavi
In a city renowned for its architectural grandeur, a bold statement is made by Alireza Razavi, an Iranian-born architect based in Paris. While many Parisians cherish the classic charm of Haussmannian buildings, Razavi's heart beats for modernism. His admiration? The Australian Embassy, a testament to Harry Seidler's brutalist vision of the 1970s.
"I find joy in creating from scratch, ensuring the interior resonates with the exterior," Razavi shares, reflecting on his multidisciplinary journey spanning architecture, interiors, and design.
At 55, Razavi's philosophy has guided the recent renovation of his personal sanctuary - a top-floor duplex in a concrete modernist building from 1968, nestled in Paris' 17th arrondissement. He and his wife, Vanessa, a hotelier, moved into this 90 sq m space 15 years ago, drawn by its unique features, including floor-to-ceiling windows framing the neighborhood's zinc rooftops. However, the central living area, with its partitions, needed a makeover.
Unencumbered by historic building regulations, Razavi took bold steps. "None of the partitions were load-bearing, a testament to the building's brilliance - no beams!" he exclaims.
As their family grew (two daughters), Razavi's modernist vision proved even more rewarding. Two years ago, he added a new top-floor extension - a lightweight blend of concrete and wood, topped with a sedum green roof - doubling their space and gaining three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a study. The original first floor was reimagined as a dedicated living area.
The renovation is a seamless blend of old and new. "I aimed for ambiguity - a space that feels built yesterday or 50 years ago," Razavi explains, describing the transition between floors. Natural light floods the space, complemented by a restrained palette and tonal contrasts from Hungarian oak cabinetry and block-colored tiled walls.
In the main open-plan living and dining area, dark basaltina flooring sets the tone, with a single steel column concealing a chimney flue, echoing an original column in the foyer. The furniture pays homage to 20th-century modernism, with Pierre Chapo's S28A dining chairs encircling Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Charlotte Perriand's "6" dining table. A 1970s Mario Marenco sofa sits atop an early 19th-century Tabriz rug, while a large linoleum-cut work by contemporary German artist Christoph Ruckhäberle hangs above.
"Well-built is my priority," Razavi asserts. "These chairs might crack, but that's fine - they'll likely last another century. And the rug is a family heirloom. I'm drawn to permanence, to materials aging gracefully."
The new floorplan gifted the family a larger kitchen, transforming the former kitchen into a cozy nook with a daybed, clad in the same rectangular black tiling found throughout the home. Razavi's "den" is inspired by modernist architect Richard Neutra's Silver Lake home in Los Angeles. "It provides an intimate, compact space where we all feel at ease."
This nook is a microcosm of Razavi's art collection, a lifelong passion that began during his student days at the Beaux-Arts in Paris. Vibrant paintings by Iranian artist Mostafa Sarabi hang alongside a floral painting by Glenn Sorensen. Below, a remnant square steel rubbish shoot adds an unexpected touch. "Our Duchamp," Razavi jokes.
Razavi's art world connections are notable, having worked with Larry Gagosian, Sotheby's, and most recently, the David Zwirner gallery. Vanessa, too, is an avid collector, evident in works by contemporary ceramic artists like Matthew Chambers, Turi Heisselberg Pedersen, and Réjean Peytavin.
Opposite, a bookshelf displays a ceramic sculpture by Riccardo Scarpa, a wooden sarcophagus mask from the first millennium BC, and a Roman head fragment, alongside family heirlooms - Amlash pottery dating to 2000 BC and a Nishapur ceramic from the 11th century. "These are the only pieces my parents could bring from Iran," Razavi recalls, remembering his family's sudden emigration to France at age nine. "It was a secular upbringing, and Tehran was modern, so Paris' dark January depressed me."
Razavi hasn't returned to his roots, but he's created a connection through pieces that bring life and color to the apartment, spanning 4,000 years - from Amlash culture to paintings by artists like Manoucher Yektai from the New York School, modernist Behjat Sadr, and the young Iranian artist Sarabi, discovered through Tehran's Delgosha Gallery. "This is my way of staying connected," he says.
He's now embarked on a residential project in Azerbaijan, his first commission in the region.
Upstairs, in the main bedroom, an early 19th-century oil painting depicts a young man, the son of Fath Ali Shah Qajar - Razavi's maternal ancestor. A 12th-century tiling fragment and a framed antique Iranian textile add warmth, their earthy tones echoing the room's color scheme. This blend of history and art contrasts with Razavi's appreciation for function, form, and raw materials - an unlikely yet inspiring dance.
"Architecture bridges technique and the arts - that's why I was drawn to it," he says. "Uncertainty defines architecture, as it does science and the arts - much relies on intuition."
A thought-provoking journey through the mind of an architect, where function meets art, and personal history intertwines with a modernist vision.
