HEYDAR ALIYEV CULTURAL CENTER,

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN
Heydar Aliyev
Cultural Center

Architect:
Zaha Hadid Architects, Zaha
Hadid, Patrik Schumacher

Associate Architect:
Saffet Kaya Bekiroglu

Year of construction: INTRODUCTION

2007-2012  The Heydar Aliyev Center, with 57,519 m2 built, is a
complex of buildings designed by British Iraqi
Roof Height: 74m architect Zaha Hadid, noted for its architecture and fluid
Length: 10,092m curved style that avoids sharp angles.
 The center is named Heydar Aliyev, leader during the
Floors: 9
Soviet Azerbaijan 1969-1982, and president of the country
Built-up Area: 57.519m2 from October 1993 to October 2003.
Area :619,000-square-  The Heydar Aliyev Center, an internationally recognized
foot architectural work, has become a benchmark in the modern
Location :Baku, Azerbaijan Baku, due to its innovative and cutting edge design.
 The building was nominated for the World Architecture
Festival and Inside Biennial Festival in 2013.
 CONCEPT

 The structure accompanying Hadid variations within the unit.

 With a continuous self- processing design in all directions, there is little sense
of limits, and no indication of completion is an immersion in a bath of space.
 The immateriality of a building varies between white, whiter and even
whiter depending on the incidence of the sun on their surfaces, give a
weightless character, releasing gravitational visitors obligations.
 As an object, the building is subjective, causing strong feelings
triggered by the suspension of physical gravity .
 An agile spatial structure of two layers, is the main support of the double
jacket which are smoothly curved along the top and bottom of the outer
casing, the structural frame and concealing emphasizing the surface rather
structure , as if the building was all effect and not cause.
 Represents a fluid form that emerges by the folding of the
natural topography of the landscape and the wrapping of
individual functions within.
 All features, together with the inputs are represented by
folds in one continuous outer surface.
 Fluidly connecting the various cultural spaces and at the
same time, provide each member of the Centre its own
identity and privacy.
 Following the inner folds, skin erodes to become an
element of the interior landscape of the Centre.
 The shapes of the 57,519 m2 cultural center show the
lightness of a scarf billowing in freefall.
 The center is designed to become the main building of
cultural programs.
 SPACES

 Baku complex actually consists of three buildings, a conference center with

auditorium and halls, a museum and a library, connected via an interior space and
the curve and "fluid" outer skin that winds throughout the structure.
 The complex also houses a restaurant and a parking.
Exterior access
 visitors find the building through a long and steep park with a zigzag path,
leading to a square paved with squares of white concrete,
 The landscape emerges from the ground to blend with the building. This area
called Cultural Plaza.
 In response to plummeting to the ground above topographically divided into
two, the project has a terraced landscape that provides alternative routes and
connections between the public square, construction, and underground parking.
 This solution avoids additional excavation and fill and successfully converts
an initial disadvantage of place in a key design feature.
Cultural Plaza
 The design of the Heydar Aliyev Center provides a continuous
and fluid relationship between the surrounding square and inside
the building.
 The plaza, accessible to the public as part of the urban fabric of
Baku rises to wrap an equally public interior space and define a
sequence of event spaces dedicated to collective celebration of both
contemporary and traditional Azeri culture.
 Extrapolated the fluid forms the center environment creating a series
of terraces interlaced with mirrors, waterfalls, ripples, bifurcations,
folds and flexures that turn the surface of the square in an
architectural landscape that fulfills many functions, welcoming and
directing visitors through different levels to the inside.
 With this gesture, the building blurs the conventional distinction
between object and architectural cityscape, building envelope and
urban square, figure and ground, inside and outside.
 A cut of the barrel at the front of the housing carries the glass
doors that open to a corridor of whiteness.
Interior
 The inside center is characterized
by continuous surfaces that twist to
transform the ceiling walls and
ramps.
 The ground floor has several
spaces lobbying aimed at creating
public places that unite the
different aspects of the program of
the center.
 From these rooms welcome inside
the building continues the theme
of the merger, with continuous
surfaces.
 Soils become ramps and walls,
turning on ceiling ceilings, then
keep turning and moving out of
sight, forming endless white
landscapes.
 Interiors
16

A grand
stairway
inside the
center leads
to one of its
many levels
 Interiors
17

The backlit
oak panels in
the
conference
center’s
1,000-seat
auditorium
bring warmth
to the
otherwise
vividly white
interior.
 Interiors
18

The ground
floor has
several lobby
spaces
intended to
create public
venues for
uniting the
different
aspects of the
center’s
program.
 Interiors
19

The center's
three main
programs
join together
in a main
hall with
multiple
levels and
pathways
Library
 The Library is oriented north to take advantage of natural
light and has its own entrance.
 Levels dedicated to reading and file are stacked one above the
other, wrapped in the folds of the outer skin.
 Plants tumble over one another with ramps which connect,
creating a continuous circulation path.
 The Library and Museum are also connected by a ramp that leads
through the ground floor of the Library, to the first floor of the
Museum.
 The Library is connected to the conference room through a
bridge that 'fly' over the entrance hall.
 Its shape reaches the Cultural Plaza, leaning to create the
necessary slope leading to the seats of outdoor space.
Auditorium
 The auditorium and its associated facilities have direct access to the
Plaza.
 The main entrance is on the void created in the outer layer, "stretching" of
the volume of the museum and the library tower.
 The secondary entrance is on the north side of the building.
 EXTERIOR
 The landscape emerges from the
ground to blend with the building.
 A cut of the barrel at the front of the housing
carries the glass doors that open to a
corridor of whiteness.
 The project has a terraced landscape that
provides alternative routes and connections
between the public square, construction, and
underground parking.
 STRUCTURE

 The building consists of two main systems that collaborate:

concrete structure combined with a system of spatial
structure.
 large-scale columns allow visitors to experience the
fluidity of the interior, vertical structural elements are
absorbed by the walls and curtain wall system.
 The special geometry of surfaces promotes unconventional
structural solutions, such as the introduction of curves "Boot
columns" for reverse shell from the ground surface to the
west of the building, and the "duck tail" resulting from the
narrowing of the cantilever beams that support the skin of the
building on the east side.
 The space frame system allows the construction of a free
form structure and saves time during the construction
process, while the substructure has been developed to
incorporate a flexible connection between rigid grid of the
spatial structure and sheathing seams freely.
 These seams were obtained from a process of
rationalization of the complex geometry, use, and
aesthetics of the project.
 The glass fiber reinforced concrete and fiberglass reinforced
polyester were chosen as materials ideal coating, allowing
the powerful plasticity building design while responding to
very different functional requirements related to a variety of
situations: square, transition zones and sheath.
Materials
 The building, whose distorted grid panels soft polyester
reinforced fiberglass has no visible connections, is less "as
built" and more like "if landed".
 The construction has been used 121,000 m3 of reinforced
concrete, 194,000tn formwork and 19.000tn mold steel.
 To shape the outer skin 5,500 tons of structural steel were
needed, creating the 40,000 m2 basis area for panels made
from fiberglass reinforced polyester or with concrete, a total
of almost 17,000 individual panels with different geometries.
Lighting
 To emphasize the ongoing relationship between the exterior and interior of the building,
lighting Heydar Aliyv Center has been carefully considered.
 During the day the volume reflects light, constantly changing its appearance depending
on the time and perspective.
 The use of semi- reflective glass hints at undisclosed inside space trajectory .
 At night, the building is gradually transformed by the light that flows from within, the formal
composition to reveal its contents and continue to maintain the fluidity between interior and
exterior develops.

 Enough artificial lights are used to highlights

the furnitures, ceilings, staircase and floors
too.
 Natural lights are entered through
atriums
 Recessed LEDs at sides of the steps- LED
fixtures below stair railings
Lightings for day time
 Lighting for night time
25

Artificial
lights are used
at the night
time.
Artificial
lights don’t
have shape.
Lining types
of lights are
used
 Colors
 The building's dominant white
color, along with symbolising the
bright future,
 white cements produce clean,
bright colors, especially for light
pastels.
 Light reflects from the white
walls and make walls to glow
GROUND FIRST SECOND
FLOOR FLOOR FLOOR
THIRD FOURTH FIFTH
FLOOR FLOOR FLOOR
SIXTH SEVENTH EIGHTH
FLOOR FLOOR FLOOR
ELEVATION
SECTION
SECTION
SECTION
SECTION
SECTION
SECTIONAL VIEW
 References
 https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Heydar_Aliyev_Cultural_C
enter
 11 july 2013
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