The Capital’s First Apartment Dwellers: 70-Year-Old German-Designed Neighborhoods in Tehran [Photos]

Construction of the “Four Hundred Units” apartment complex began in 1946 and was completed four years later, when the apartments were delivered to their first residents. German engineers, who at the time were responsible for designing and executing most industrial projects in the area, played a central role in the project.

Nowruz Ali Hasan-jani, a longtime resident of Nazyabad, recalls:
"The Four Hundred Units were built by the Germans. The project included 21 blocks with 840 apartments, each around 70 to 75 square meters. Back then, people said the German engineers had used iron and cement, designing the buildings to withstand an earthquake of up to magnitude 7. The apartments were fully equipped. At a time when many homes didn’t even have bathrooms, each unit in these four-story buildings—which had five apartments per floor—had a bathroom, a private storage room, and more. A unique feature of the Four Hundred Units was the landscaping and green spaces in front of the buildings, which gave the neighborhood a special charm."

According to Alireza Zamani, a Tehran studies scholar, the Four Hundred Units in Nazyabad and Peyrozi were among Tehran’s first residential complexes built in a modern style, and they were the first location in Iran to feature central heating. Hasan-jani adds:
"From the very beginning, the Four Hundred Units were built for workers. Since many factories were established in and around Nazyabad, this complex was designed to house factory workers. The first residents were employees from customs, textile factories, silos, sugar plants, and other local industries."

Another symbol of Nazyabad’s past can be found near Yousefzadeh Street and Marghoubkar Stadium. Although fewer traces remain of the neighborhood’s single-story “Thousand Units” villas—many of which have been replaced by modern apartments—the houses built by German engineers still preserve the character of old Nazyabad.

Hasan-jani reflects on the Thousand Units:
"In 1962, after the Buin Zahra earthquake left many people homeless, the government decided to build earthquake-resistant homes in Tehran. Nazyabad was selected for the project, and the Germans built the Thousand Units—actually 900 units—on land that had been a vacant lot where we used to play football. The houses were originally villas, but in recent years many single-story homes were demolished and replaced with apartment buildings. Although the houses were intended for earthquake victims, at the time it was said that most units ended up going to government employees and security personnel."