Located on the edge of extensive urban parklands in Tehran and with superb views of the ring of distant mountains, the Mellat Park Cineplex is a multipurpose building for the arts and entertainment as well as a social gathering place. The project, the work of Fluid Motion Architects (FMA, Reza Daneshmir and Catherine Spiridonoff), takes in a number of important objectives, including the revitalization of an underused urban space and the creation of flexible architecture, based on modern reality and ideals. The study of dynamic and flowing structures and forms is part of the studio’s key conceptual approach - that is, to integrate spaces and structures, create an open dialogue between the metropolis and important architectural elements, and develop architectural places that become new points of attraction within a city. The building emphasizes non-regular geometries. This characteristic is a feature that distinguishes the entire design, which opens in a curved shape at the centre of the plan. Functioning according to the underlying concept of fluidity, this produces a misalignment of the building. The building has two opposing nuclei - that is, its two shorter sides, which are linked both functionally and physically. At ground level, the building becomes a kind of ‘bridge’, beneath which is the key element of the covered square. Characterized architecturally by huge beams and its exposed reinforced concrete floor, this large ‘vacuum’ filters access to the interior of the building and is used by people to pass through and occupy. The building accommodates a series of functions to encourage cultural exchange and involvement: four 300-seat cinemas, a smaller performance studio, spaces for art and exhibitions, restaurants and cafés, and book and music shops. Two of the cinemas are located on the first basement level; the other two are on the first floor, facing each other. The architecture is brought to life by the coordinated use of contrasting materials and its mixed reinforced concrete and steel structure. The architectural mass is differentiated, and lightened, by being broken up by its glazed facades, exposed concrete, and sheet steel cladding. The textures of the materials, surface finishes, and use of particular colours (blue at the lower levels, red on the ground floor, African red in the dining areas) contribute to defining the interior spaces. Inside, the concept of a bridge/building splinters into a series of connecting ramps and balconies, which run along the glazed walls and offer views of the mountains and park.