Berlin, Sept 30, IRNA-A German architectural firm will sign a contract with the Iranian Cultural Institute for Development this week to design a 60-million dollar cultural and commercial center in northern Tehran, the head of the project Dirk Gaedeke told IRNA on Friday.

"We are currently in a pre-planning phase. The cultural complex includes a four-star hotel with 200 rooms, a small shopping mall and a six-room conference center which can also be used as a multiplex cinema," Gaedeke said.

The construction is set to begin in mid-2006 and the project is scheduled to be completed in 2008.

The newly built hotel will be managed by European company, according to Gaedeke whose firm German-Iran Development GmbH will construct the cultural and commercial complex.