'heydar aliyev cultural centre' by zaha hadid architects in baku, azerbaijan
all images courtesy zaha hadid architectscurrently under construction, 'heydar aliyev cultural centre' by internationally renowned
architect zaha hadid is a new facility consisting of a museum, library and conference centre
in baku, the republic of azerbaijan. playing an important role in the urban development
of the site, the design will define a new neighbourhood designated for residential, offices,
hotel and commercial centre arranged around a new outdoor piazza.
within contextsituated on a site measuring over 111,000 m2, the cultural centre is characterized by
its fluid form which emerges out of the surrounding landscape. a distinct sense of motion
is established by a series of curves that fold out from the ground, creating organic shaped
openings within the skin. this continuous 'wrap' houses different functions, providing
appropriate level of privacy as well as a distinct identity to each space.

exterior view
engaging in direct dialogue with the landscape is the museum, which faces out to provide
sweeping views of the surrounding. a glass facade ensures that the interior gains an abundant
level of natural light. the library, which faces north, effectively controls admitted light and
spatially designates the reading and archive space within the folds of the outer envelope.
a series of ramps connect the interior, allowing for a continuous circulation, while a suspended
bridge provides connection between the library and the conference centre. the design generates
a public forum of engagement through a new plaza which reads as an extension of
the cultural centre itself.

main entry


view from within



rendered perspective

plaza

interior view


exhibition space

render of auditorium

wireframe model

site plan

elevation
project info:
site area: 111,292 m2
built area: 52,417 m2
foot print: 15,514 m2
project architect: saffet kaya
project team: marc boles, shiqi li, sara sheikh akbari, phil kim, yelda gin,
liat muller, deniz manisali, lillie liu, jose lemos, simone fuchs, jose ramon tramoyeres,
yu du, tahmina parvin, erhan patat, fadi mansour, jaime bartolome, josef glas,
ifeanyi oganwu, michael grau, deepti zachariah, ceyhun baskin, daniel widrig,
murat mutlu
main contractor: DIA
structural: AKT, tuncel engineers
space frame: mro
facade: werner sobek
mechanical: GMD engineers
lighting: MBLD
acoustic: DBKes
fire: etik engineering
people movers: MBE ltd. co.