Spacious, modern building housing an auditorium, an art gallery & a Heydar Aliyev museum.

Icherisheher

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Dənizkənarı Milli Park

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Vusal Iskandarov

Ted Eckman

Николай Максимович

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Emmanuel Chan

reza karami

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Joe Falchetto

Emre Altan

Heydar Aliyev Centre

The Heydar Aliyev Centre in Bakı stands as a striking example of fluid architecture, a departure from traditional Soviet-era rigidity. Zaha Hadid's design eschews sharp angles, instead embracing curves and flowing lines that symbolize a break from the past and a move towards a more optimistic future for Azerbaijan. Its undulating form, seemingly defying gravity, is achieved through a complex steel structure clad in white glass-fiber reinforced concrete panels. The absence of straight lines is not merely aesthetic; it presents significant engineering challenges, making its construction a remarkable feat. Inside, the Centre houses a museum dedicated to Heydar Aliyev, a conference hall, and gallery spaces. Interestingly, the building's design extends beyond its physical structure, influencing the surrounding landscape, which mirrors the Centre's flowing forms. The Centre's white facade is particularly captivating at night, when it is illuminated with dynamic lighting, transforming it into a luminous beacon.

Introduction

The Heydar Aliyev Centre embodies architectural fluidity by establishing a continuous relationship between the exterior plaza and the building's interior, blurring the distinction between architectural object and urban landscape. The plaza rises to envelop the interior, creating event spaces that celebrate Azeri culture. Undulations, bifurcations, folds, and inflections transform the plaza into a landscape that welcomes and directs visitors through the building.

Inspired by historical Islamic architecture, the design evokes the seamless relationships found in traditional patterns and forms, avoiding mimicry but offering a contemporary interpretation. Fluidity is expressed through continuous calligraphic and ornamental patterns, reminiscent of those flowing from carpets to walls and ceilings in historical Islamic designs, blurring distinctions between architectural elements. Zaha Hadid avoided straight lines in the design, drawing inspiration from Antonio Gaudi’s observation that straight lines do not exist in nature.

The building's skin is designed to appear homogenous, integrating various functions, construction logics, and technical systems. Advanced computing facilitated communication of these complexities among project participants. The fluidity extends to the building's envelope, where vertical structural elements are absorbed into the curtain wall system, enabling large-scale, column-free spaces. The wave-like roof, covering 40,000m2, consists of 2,027 geometrically diverse panels, enhancing the building's form. The white cladding accentuates the shape, casting shadows as the sun moves. At night, internal illumination projects light outwards, symbolizing unity and a new era in Azerbaijani architecture.

Architectural Fluidity

The Heydar Aliyev Center's structural design ingeniously addresses its complex, free-flowing form. The building's structure is a collaborative system of concrete and a space frame, essential for achieving the large, column-free interior spaces that emphasize fluidity. Vertical structural elements are integrated into the envelope and curtain wall system, effectively disappearing to enhance the interior experience.

The building's unique geometry demanded unconventional structural solutions, including curved 'boot columns' that facilitate the surface's peel from the ground on the west side. Similarly, 'dovetail' tapering of cantilever beams supports the building envelope to the east. The space frame system was instrumental in constructing the free-form structure, saving considerable time during construction. The substructure was designed to allow a flexible relationship between the space frame's rigid grid and the free-formed exterior cladding seams.

Advanced computing played a crucial role in managing the complexities of the building's skin, ensuring continuous control and communication among project participants. Stress analysis incorporated a model of the combined action of the space frame and the underlying concrete-steel frame. The external skin, a key architectural feature with its 3D freeform geometry, is a multi-layered system. A secondary steel substructure was required to fix the white solid skin to the space frame. The design, engineering, and installation of this skin, along with the generation of fabrication data, were carefully managed to achieve the architect's vision.

Structural Engineering

The Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku embodies Azerbaijan's cultural modernization, moving away from the rigid Soviet architectural norms. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, its fluid, curvilinear form symbolizes the nation's aspirations for the future while subtly referencing Islamic calligraphy and traditional Azeri design. This architectural statement reflects Azerbaijan's embrace of innovation and progress.

Named after Heydar Aliyev, the former national leader, the center represents the country's nation-building process and economic development. Its construction, completed in 2012, signifies a pivotal moment in Azerbaijan's post-Soviet transformation. The center's design intentionally contrasts with the Soviet-era architecture prevalent in Baku, marking a deliberate departure from the past.

The center's program promotes Azerbaijani culture, history, and language, while also showcasing international art, science, and history through temporary exhibitions. It hosts a diverse range of events, including concerts, theatrical performances, conferences, and workshops, blending local traditions with global contemporary culture. The Heydar Aliyev Museum within the center further emphasizes this blend, featuring exhibits on Azerbaijani history and the life of Heydar Aliyev, integrating modern presentation techniques. This fusion of cultural promotion and modern architectural expression positions the Heydar Aliyev Center as a key emblem of Azerbaijan's cultural modernization.

Cultural Modernization

The Heydar Aliyev Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, represents a departure from Baku's Soviet-era architecture, embodying Azerbaijan's cultural sensibilities and optimism. Hadid considered it a career highlight, notable for its structural and symbolic harmony. Its parametric design and modern materials blur the lines between the center and Baku, symbolizing unity. Inspired by the fluidity of Islamic architecture and Gaudi's rejection of straight lines, the design avoids straight lines, integrating with the natural slope of the site to create varied perspectives.

The facade, a critical element, features a wave-like roof of 40,000m2, comprising 2,027 geometrically diverse panels. Its bright white cladding accentuates the building's form, casting shadows and, at night, projecting light outwards, symbolizing harmony and a new era in Azerbaijani architecture. The center has become a social catalyst, appreciated for its aesthetics and symbolic value, serving as a hub for education and cultural exchange. Completed in 2012 to celebrate Heydar Aliyev's 89th anniversary, the center lacks any straight lines, its form ascending like a wave from the ground to the sky, representing an eternal cycle and bridging past and present. The design promotes openness, uniting people through shared ideas.

Heydar Aliyev Centre

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