A local/Canadian team, made up of Barzant Consulting Engineersand Toronto-based Michael Kirkland Architects, was appointed in January as the design consultant for the complex, which will be the headquarters for National Iranian Oil Company, National Iranian Gas Company, National Petrochemical Company, National Iranian Oil Refining & Distribution Companyand the Oil Ministry.

The complex will be built on a 30,000-square-metre plot located in Tehran's Abas Abad district. It will feature a 45-storey main tower, four mid-rise towers and a podium. In addition to the offices, it will also include a library, theatre, day-care centre, supermarket and a mosque. The total built-up area will be 176,000 square metres and the complexwill provide office space for about 9,000 people.

The construction contract is scheduled to be awarded in the autumn and will take 24 months. The tender will be a rare opportunity for international construction firms to be involved in the Islamic republic, which almost exclusively tenders building work among local contractors.