Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre
Encyclopedia
The Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center is a cultural complex currently being constructed in Baku
, Azerbaijan
. The complex is designed by renowned Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid
and will include a 21,000sq m conference hall rising to a height of 22m, a museum, library and sculpted parkland. The 9ha project is held up by the government as a project of national importance ahead of Baku’s bid for the 2016 Olympics
.
The Cultural Center will house a conference hall with 3 auditoriums, a library and a museum. This ambitious project will play an integral role in the intellectual life of the city. Located close to the city center, the site will play a pivotal role in the redevelopment of Baku. The site neighbouring the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center is designated for residential, offices, a hotel and commercial center, whilst the land between the Cultural Center and the city’s main thoroughfare will become the Cultural Plaza – an outdoor piazza for the Cultural Center as well as a welcoming space for the visitors.
The proposal for the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center envisions a fluid form which emerges by the folding of the landscape’s natural topography and by the wrapping of individual functions of the Center. All functions of the Center, together with entrances, are represented by folds in a single continuous surface. This fluid form gives an opportunity to connect the various cultural spaces whilst, at the same time, providing each element of the Center with its own identity and privacy. As it folds inside, the skin erodes away to become an element of the interior landscape of the Cultural Center.
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. The complex is designed by renowned Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid, CBE is an Iraqi-British architect.-Life and career:Hadid was born in 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq. She received a degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut before moving to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.After graduating she worked...
and will include a 21,000sq m conference hall rising to a height of 22m, a museum, library and sculpted parkland. The 9ha project is held up by the government as a project of national importance ahead of Baku’s bid for the 2016 Olympics
Baku 2016 Olympic bid
Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. It was the first bid by the city to host the Olympic games. Baku was eliminated from the running at the announcement of the Candidate city shortlist on June 4, 2008....
.
The Cultural Center will house a conference hall with 3 auditoriums, a library and a museum. This ambitious project will play an integral role in the intellectual life of the city. Located close to the city center, the site will play a pivotal role in the redevelopment of Baku. The site neighbouring the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center is designated for residential, offices, a hotel and commercial center, whilst the land between the Cultural Center and the city’s main thoroughfare will become the Cultural Plaza – an outdoor piazza for the Cultural Center as well as a welcoming space for the visitors.
The proposal for the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center envisions a fluid form which emerges by the folding of the landscape’s natural topography and by the wrapping of individual functions of the Center. All functions of the Center, together with entrances, are represented by folds in a single continuous surface. This fluid form gives an opportunity to connect the various cultural spaces whilst, at the same time, providing each element of the Center with its own identity and privacy. As it folds inside, the skin erodes away to become an element of the interior landscape of the Cultural Center.