Under construction: Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

The Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, progresses. Conceived as a landmark building and a major new venue for the city of Baku, Azerbaijan, the Cultural Centre will accommodate a conference hall with three auditoriums, a library and a museum.

Cultural Centre for the city of Baku, Azerbaijan — Construction Photography © Zaha Hadid Architects

The building's fluid and undulating form evolves from layering of environmental information from the landscape's natural topography.

© Zaha Hadid Architects

The topography of the site allows to wrap the individual components of the building. From the folding of the natural topography of the site emerges the complex's form.

© Zaha Hadid Architects

The resulting building is merged with the landscape that emerges from the ground.

© Zaha Hadid Architects

This folding building influences the interior spaces with the floors cascading from one to another.

© Zaha Hadid Architects
> The resulting double-curved surface is based on mathematical analysis. Mathematics
have been utilized for the cladding of the façade.

All functions are connected together: floors are linked to the ramps and the circulation is incorporated in the skin to create a continuous path across the interior.

© Zaha Hadid Architects
> "(…) It is not simply a matter of optimising the building from an architectural
point of view, but also from the standpoints of creating energetic structural planning and production techniques.
If this not accomplished, the resulting buildings tend rather to represent aesthetically
motivated endeavours potentially limited in their habitability or usability." (Werner Sobek,
Façade consultant, AD July-August 2010)

© Zaha Hadid Architects
> This irregular, organic geometric building integrates an earthquake-proof system.

© Zaha Hadid Architects

The skin erodes away becoming an element of the interior landscape of the building.

© Zaha Hadid Architects

© Zaha Hadid Architects. Photography construction originally appeared
on Tuncel Engineering

Building Fact
Project: Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre for the city of Baku, Azerbaijan
Program: Mixed use cultural Centre
Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
Design: Zaha Hadid with Patrick Schumacher
Main Contractor: DIA
Structure: AKT, Tuncel Engineers
Space frame: Mero
Façade: Werner Sobek
Mechanical: GMD
Engineers
Lighting: MVLD
Acoustic: DBKes
Fire: Etik Engineering
People Movers: BME Ltd. Co
Client: IC ITCAS, The Republic of Azerbaijan
Building area: 57519 sqm
Footprint area: 15514 sqm
Total Construction: 101801 sqm
Total landscape: 135778 sqm
Credit image: Zaha Hadid Architects

Source: Zaha Hadid Architects