The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, is surrounded by 7000 sq/m of landscape, known as the sculpture park, in which sculptures by renowned   international and Iranian artists are on display. The museum building, with 5000 sq/m gross area, was designed by the architect Kamran Diba, and was inaugurated in 1977.
As a contemporary example of Iranian architecture, its design has been inspired by certain traditional Iranian as well as modern architecture. The building is sited adjacent to Kargar avenue, from which visitors access the main entrance. On the approach towards the main entrance, four semi-arch vertical elements are seen atop the building at a distance. These elements, which function as skylights above the atrium inside, are metaphorical gestures of traditional wind-catchers in some provincial towns bordering the desert of central Iran.
Similar semi-arched skylights are utilized, either linearly or fragmented, above the galleries throughout the building.

Collectively, these spread out parallel skylights mounted atop the single story rectangular masses of the galleries, constitute the main formal language of this angularly set complex. It is a concrete frame building with non-geometric rough stone finish on the exterior, and the roof's skylights are covered with seamed copper panels.

The first gallery, called Chahar-su (four-way), surrounds the spacious atrium, and accommodates direct access to the exterior sculpture court, coffee shop, book shop, second gallery

and the central ramp which circularly descends one floor, under the four skylights, providing further access along its course to the library, administrative and curatorial offices. From the second gallery, on the ground floor, the visitors follow a rather long descending path, which leads to the seven remaining galleries, terminating in the ninth gallery located at a close proximity from the bottom of ascending central ramp and the atrium.
Here, at the center of this solemn atrium, a rectangular pool, inspired by the concept of "hoze" (small pool) in Iranian architecture, is placed. It has filled the heart of the museum with a mysterious haze of artistic sense and charm.