Hossein Amanat won the design competition in 1966. The structural engineer was Ove Arup & Partners, and the main contractor was the MAP Company. The tower was inaugurated on October 16, 1971, and opened to the public on January 14, 1972. The roof is 148 feet (45 m) tall, and the tower is clad entirely in cut white marble from Isfahan province, with 8,000 blocks of stone.
Amanat based the design on Iran's classical and post-classical architecture. The main vault is a Sasanian arch representing the classical era, and the broken arch above it is a medieval form representing the post-classical era. A network of ribs connecting the arches represents the link between the two periods.
The monument was designated Shahyad Aryamehr and was renamed Azadi, meaning Freedom, after the 1979 revolution. The Azadi Museum is at basement level, and before 1979 a copy of the Cyrus Cylinder was its main display. The tower now hosts a Cinematheque.
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