Heydar Aliyev Center
Text by Saffet Kaya Bekiroglu, Project Designer and Architect, Zaha Hadid Architects
As part of the former Soviet Union, the urbanism and architecture of Baku, the
capital of Azerbaijan on the Western coast of the Caspian Sea, was heavily
influenced by the planning of that era. Since its independence in 1991,
Azerbaijan has invested heavily in modernising and developing Baku's
infrastructure and architecture, departing from its legacy of normative Soviet
Modernism.
Zaha Hadid Architects was appointed as design architects of the Heydar Aliyev
Center following a competition in 2007. The Center, designed to become the
primary building for the nation's cultural programs, breaks from the rigid and
often monumental Soviet architecture that is so prevalent in Baku, aspiring
instead to express the sensibilities of Azeri culture and the optimism of a
nation that looks to the future.
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DESIGN CONCEPT
The design of the Heydar Aliyev Center establishes a continuous, fluid
relationship between its surrounding plaza and the building's interior. The
plaza, as the ground surface; accessible to all as part of Baku's urban fabric,
rises to envelop an equally public interior space and define a sequence of
event spaces dedicated to the collective celebration of contemporary and
traditional Azeri culture. Elaborate formations such as undulations,
bifurcations, folds, and inflections modify this plaza surface into an
architectural landscape that performs a multitude of functions: welcoming,
embracing, and directing visitors through different levels of the interior.
With this gesture, the building blurs the conventional differentiation between
architectural object and urban landscape, building envelope and urban plaza,
figure and ground, interior and exterior.
Fluidity in architecture is not new to this region. In historical Islamic
architecture, rows, grids, or sequences of columns flow to infinity like trees
in a forest, establishing non-hierarchical space. Continuous calligraphic and
ornamental patterns flow from carpets to walls, walls to ceilings, ceilings to
domes, establishing seamless relationships and blurring distinctions between
architectural elements and the ground they inhabit. Our intention was to relate
to that historical understanding of architecture, not through the use of
mimicry or a limiting adherence to the iconography of the past, but rather by
developing a firmly contemporary interpretation, reflecting a more nuanced
understanding.
Responding to the topographic sheer drop that formerly split the site in two,
the project introduces a precisely terraced landscape that establishes
alternative connections and routes between public plaza, building, and
underground parking. This solution avoids additional excavation and landfill,
and successfully converts an initial disadvantage of the site into a key design
feature.
GEOMETRY, STRUCTURE, MATERIALITY
One of the most critical yet challenging elements of the project was the
architectural development of the building's skin. Our ambition to achieve a
surface so continuous that it appears homogenous, required a broad range of
different functions, construction logics and technical systems had to be
brought together and integrated into the building's envelope. Advanced
computing allowed for the continuous control and communication of these
complexities among the numerous project participants.
The Heydar Aliyev Center principally consists of two collaborating systems: a
concrete structure combined with a space frame system. In order to achieve
large-scale column-free spaces that allow the visitor to experience the
fluidity of the interior, vertical structural elements are absorbed by the
envelope and curtain wall system. The particular surface geometry fosters
unconventional structural solutions, such as the introduction of curved boot
columns' to achieve the inverse peel of the surface from the ground to the West
of the building, and the dovetail' tapering of the cantilever beams that
support the building envelope to the East of the site.
The space frame system enabled the construction of a free-form structure and
saved significant time throughout the construction process, while the
substructure was developed to incorporate a flexible relationship between the
rigid grid of the space frame and the free-formed exterior cladding seams.
These seams were derived from a process of rationalizing the complex geometry,
usage, and aesthetics of the project. Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete (GFRC)
and Glass Fibre Reinforced Polyester (GFRP) were chosen as ideal cladding
materials, as they allow for the powerful plasticity of the building's design
while responding to very different functional demands related to a variety of
situations: plaza, transitional zones and envelope.
In this architectural composition, if the surface is the music, then the seams
between the panels are the rhythm. Numerous studies were carried out on the
surface geometry to rationalize the panels while maintaining continuity
throughout the building and landscape. The seams promote a greater
understanding of the project's scale. They emphasize the continual
transformation and implied motion of its fluid geometry, offering a pragmatic
solution to practical construction issues such as manufacturing, handling,
transportation and assembly; and answering technical concerns such as
accommodating movement due to deflection, external loads, temperature change,
seismic activity and wind loading.
To emphasize the continuous relationship between the building's exterior and
interior, the lighting of the Heydar Aliyev Center has been very carefully
considered. The lighting design strategy differentiates the day and night
reading of the building. During the day, the building's volume reflects light,
constantly altering the Center's appearance according to the time of day and
viewing perspective. The use of semi-reflective glass gives tantalizing
glimpses within, arousing curiosity without revealing the fluid trajectory of
spaces inside. At night, this character is gradually transformed by means of
lighting that washes from the interior onto the exterior surfaces, unfolding
the formal composition to reveal its content and maintaining the fluidity
between interior and exterior.
As with all of our work, the Heydar Aliyev Center's design evolved from our
investigations and research of the site's topography and the Center's role
within its broader cultural landscape. By employing these articulate
relationships, the design is embedded within this context; unfolding the future
cultural possibilities for the nation.
HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER
OUTLINE SPECIFICATION
STRUCTURE
MERO double-curved space frame structure supporting solid external and internal
envelope: MERO KK system (Fabricated by MERO-TSK Germany) made of solid steel
ball nodes and CHS members.
Nodes with diameter between 110 and 350 mm and up to 16 threaded holes in
different directions. Due to double-curved geometry all nodes and members are
different and individually produced. Members with diameter from 60.3 to 273 mm
automatically prefabricated of steel cones, CHS pipes, threaded bolts and
sleeves, up to 4.5 m long.
All node and tube connections assembled on site without any welding. To achieve
high corrosion protection all parts are galvanized and coated in accordance
with DIN EN ISO 12944.
All Items are under strict MERO quality control in accordance with DIN ISO 9001
and ISO 14001.
Curved boot columns at ground level connection points enable inverse peel of
solid external skin on the west side of the building from the plaza floor
surface. MERO
Additional framing construction: In situ concrete sheer walls and floors, steel
floors.
EXTERNAL SKIN
Solid external skin: Fiberglass reinforced polyester rain screen cladding
panels to roof higher than datum at approximately 3 m above ground level.
Arabian Profile. Color match with off-white fiberglass reinforced concrete
panels achieved by using a gelcoat layer with special mixture for visible
faces. Sheen, sparkle, and texture to match fiberglass reinforced concrete
panels. 120 mm returns on all edges. 50 mm wide primary joints between panels,
allowing access to fixings, with 15 mm wide transverse joints.
Support structure for external skin panels: Curved primary transverse steel
tubes with rod connections to space frame. Secondary longitudinal steel tubes
spanning between primaries and supporting rain screen panels. Weatherproofing:
Prefabricated trays comprising U-profile purlins fixed to space frame stools
supporting trapezoidal metal decks supporting rigid insulation boards with
weatherproof membranes above and self-adhesive vapor barriers below.
Roof drainage: Weirs in weatherproofing below roof rain screen discharging into
downpipes.
Access and maintenance system: Solid external envelope: cherry pickers, safety
point hooks in 50 mm gaps between panels at approx. 3 m centers, with
rappelling strategy for steepest surfaces.
Glass curtain walling: Unitized structurally bonded fixed glazing with split
mullions and transoms, adaptor frames, and vertical cover profiles. Suspension
points at tops of units.
Insulating glass units with combined solar-control coating and low-e coating on
the outer panes. Inner and outer panes contain fully tempered safety glass.
Outer pane: laminated glass with polyvinyl butyral laminate, either standard
PVB laminate for medium acoustic requirements or with noise-control foil.
2-pane insulated glass units comprise laminated glass with
2 panes 6 mm tempered glass externally. Glass heat soak tested to EN 14179,
combined solar-control coating and low-e coating on face 2. 16 mm air cavity
with highly insulating spacer, stainless steel spacer, or comparable. 8 mm
tempered glass to inside heat soak tested to EN 14179.
U-value to vertical units ≤ 1.4 W/m2K.
Solar factor ≤ 30%
Solar G-value, EN 410 ≤ 24%
Shading coefficient, EN/0.80 ≤ 0.30
Total energy transmission ≤ 0.30
114 Percentages are allowed to vary up to 2 percentage points in the adverse
direction.
Acoustic insulation: max. Rcwtr = 41 dB required for glazing.
The insulated glass units allow and guarantee for a deflection of the glass
panel edge of up to L /150 (approx. 25 mm over a length of 4 m). Deflection in
the middle of panes with supports along all edges not limited to a certain
value.
Structural silicone seals to inner and outer panes of insulating glass units.
Mullions and transoms aluminum extruded rectangular/ polygonal sections to
outside. Mullions and transoms:
Curved glass panels around museum / tunnel elevation: tempered outer pane, with
enamel frit at the edges to cover the spacer bonding, with bendable and
temperable solar-control coating.
U-value ≤ 1.4 W/m2K (vertical)
Daylight transmittance LT (EN 410) ≥ to match above
Solar G-value EN 410: ≤ 24%
Curved glass IGUs to match surrounding flat glass units perfectly.
HARD AND SOFT LANDSCAPING
Plaza flooring and panels in transitional zone between plaza flooring and
raincreen: Flat, single- and double-curved fiberglass reinforced concrete
flooring panels by Arabian Profile. Specially developed alkali-resistant
fiberglass and cement sand mortar. Slip resistance: R10 in wet conditions, R12
in dry.
Panels rest on concrete and gravel in plaza and wedge-shaped concrete footing
in transitional zone. Gaskets in joints to prevent finger trapping and indicate
proximity of transitional zone between plaza and external envelope.
External ponds: top and bottom reservoir with perimeter overflow requiring
accurate workmanship to stonework at edges and special collector unit to ensure
water appears still, waterfalls connecting reservoirs have concealed channels
at supply and overflow points to prevent them disturbing still surfaces of ponds
and have dedicated filtration; special vacuum and filtration appliances for
maintenance and cleaning of shallow reservoirs. Landscape and hardscape walls:
board-marked in situ concrete. Grass: blend of 3 different seeds suitable for
windy, hot, humid climate, terrace garden plant system comprising drainage
layer, and root retainers with automatic garden irrigation system also
available.
EXTERNAL FACADE LIGHTING
Ground-embedded facade lighting fixtures: produced by the Light Project
company, can be directed by 360 degrees, with special filter. Bespoke fixtures
with reflectors, used in facade cove: produced by British Crescent Company.
EXTERNAL PLAZA LIGHTING
Recessed LEDs at sides of the steps: bespoke item by Cedetas with linear
stainless steel casing and top-radiused Flotel glass. Stone light marker LEDs:
manufactured by HRN design. LED fixtures below stair railings: bespoke design
by Zaha Hadid, manufactured by Zumtobel.
INTERNAL SKIN, WALLS, AND CEILINGS
Inner face of external envelope: 6 mm Flex-Panels.
Skimmed and painted. Panels and boards screwed to fixing plates connected to
telescopic tubes connected to tubular secondary steel support structure suspended
from space frame, with threaded rod bracing where required.
Suspended ceilings: Knauf Acoustic suspended ceilings: Baswa Finish to
auditorium ceiling and walls: Oak Internal flooring Transitional zones between
internal floors and walls: Bolidt synthetic resin flooring.
First-floor exhibition area in museum and grand stair on first floor: Greton
branded beige artificial stone, size: 45 × 90 cm.
INTERNAL LIGHTING
Atrium lobby: lighting integrated into helical stair handrail; balustrade
uplight adjacent to step; recessed light features in ceiling; floor slot
fittings uplighting external skin.
Auditorium: linear wall washers; dark recessed ceiling slots conceal
downlighting onto seating areas; step lighting; ceiling shadow gap wall washers
providing ambient light.
Structural cantilever glass balustrades and handrails
1,100 mm high tempered and laminated extra clear glass.
Structural glass balustrades to stairs and landings, but not galleries, with
LED luminaires, bus bars integrated with
laminated glass. Stainless steel handrails to stairs and landings
with wall-fixed LED luminaires.
MECHANICAL SERVICES
Fresh air is supplied to all mechanical rooms. Variable air volume system for
exhibition gallery. Control of drafts from large areas of facade glazing by
convectors and floor heating. Heating and cooling plant located in remote
utility structure.
FIRE SAFETY
Smoke control: special pressurization systems prevent the spread of smoke into
the escape staircases in case of fire.
HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER
Felix Mara
Baku's Heydar Aliyev Center is a national symbol for Azerbaijan, a catalyst for
regeneration, and, in the broadest sense, a regional showpiece. Constructing
Zaha Hadid Architects' audacious design for the Center has drawn on expertise
from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the Commonwealth of Independent
States, as well as further afield. This explains the feel-good factor and
can-do mentality which have made it possible. It is a labor of love.
The narrative which follows touches on some of the principles and innovations
examined elsewhere in this book: the uncompromising architectural vision,
unbridled geometric inventiveness, attention to detail, and resourceful
engineering which, according to project architect Saffet Kaya Bekiroglu,
involved constructing mock-ups of practically everything to evaluate appearance
as well as performance; the contractors' and engineers' quest for faster,
lighter, more buildable answers to problems posed by irregular, nonrectilinear
geometry and large column-free spaces and the project team's acquiescence to
an approach which was emphatically led not by engineering, but by architecture.
Baku is only one of many settings for this narrative, which begins on a site in
the capital with challenging ground conditions and traversed by a sheer drop.
The focus soon shifts to London, where, having been commissioned, Zaha Hadid
Architects develop the scheme design, working with consulting engineer AKT, now
AKTII, and lighting consultant MBLD, both located nearby. The architects
explore the panelization geometry of the internal and external skin and develop
the predominantly hard landscape, which benefits from the ironing out of the
sheer drop, resolved by locating some of the car parking below ground, but
outside the building's footprint, to avoid security breaches. The architects'
long-term collaborator AKT develops the roof structure design, with trusses
spanning between supports within the perimeter envelope and concrete sheer
walls.
In Stuttgart, engineering consultancy Werner Sobek, initially appointed by
design-build contractor DiA as facade consultant, assists with the technical
design of critical areas such as the external cladding and its support
structure, along with the curtain walling. Recommending space frame
construction for the external envelope to assuage DiA's concerns about cost,
Werner Sobek sees the scope of their appointment expand. They are ultimately
involved in many aspects of the project, including the space frame, the
internal skin, the Pond Cafe at the site's south end, and the structural glass
balustrades, taking on various responsibilities, including design,
specification, documentation, monitoring, and supervision, with up to 20 staff
involved. Bavarian construction specialist MERO-TSK is awarded the contract for
the space frame, weighing 2,500 tons less than the structure originally
proposed, and the Turkish firm Bilim Makina later installs it in nine months,
which reflects its extent and complexity: MERO-TSK space frames are typically
installed in six months. The space frame's blue paint finish became a Baku
landmark, until it was eventually concealed by the Center's external cladding,
and Bavarian specialist Lindner's internal skin. The glass curtain walls,
supplied by Hueck Hartmann, were installed by a Turkish firm.
These specialists faced similar challenges of reconciling complex geometry with
demands for quick erection, live and dead loads, and material expansion and
contraction, working with a defiantly nonmodular design. The building has a
single-movement joint separating concrete slabs, space frames, and other
components into two sections. In addition, expansion and contraction of
finishing materials, such as the external and internal skin, are visually
suppressed or absorbed into uniform, if not always regular, panel joints and
the extent of off-site fabrication is maximized to optimize quality control and
precision. Nevertheless, elaborate interstitial secondary support structures
are needed so the inner and outer skins can be set out accurately at their
interface with the space frame. This involves labor-intensive site work, for
example to fine-tune the fixing positions for the plates supporting the inner
skin panels, many of which also need to be bent on site.
Our focus now shifts to the United Arab Emirates, where cladding manufacturer
Arabian Profile develops the design of the fiberglass reinforced concrete
panels for the plaza and the external envelope rain screen. Extruded panels
have fiberglass embedded in their concrete matrix in three layers: the top and
bottom with undirected, scattered fibers and the ones in between with bundles
following the proposed form. With no steel reinforcement, panels can be slimmed
down to 813 mm without losing their flexural strength. Arabian Profile floats
the idea of making the rain screen panels, which outnumber those in the plaza
by 4:1, out of hollow fiberglass reinforced plastic instead, halving production
times and trimming 80 percent of their weight. This passes muster with the
project team, but Arabian Profile must demonstrate that the plastic panels can
match the performance and appearance of their micaceous concrete siblings.
Next, microchips are fitted to all 16,150 panels, so each can be traced,
dramatically accelerating installation. Before all this has happened, Arabian
Profile contracts London digital panelization specialist Newtecnic to develop
3D software.
Next to Turkey, where Sanset İkoor are exploring options to fabricate the
auditorium interior, working with Ankara acoustic specialist Mezzo Studyo. As
more and more specialists in the region join the project, the Heydar Aliyev
Center begins to rise from the ground and take shape, a conical concrete core
sprouts up and is garlanded with steel flooring platforms, intriguing steel
boot columns are craned in, then decking unitssome to be bent on site before
their waterproof membranes are welded together. Rain screen panels are bolted
onto brackets before the wind can carry them away, access modules walk up the
stairs and, after the structural balustrades are fitted, the services and plaza
lighting are tested and commissioned in preparation for the Center's opening.
HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER
Architect
Zaha Hadid Architects
Design
Zaha Hadid, Patrik Schumacher
Project Designer and Architect
Saffet Kaya Bekiroglu
Project Team
Sara Sheikh Akbari
Shiqi Li
Phil Soo Kim
Marc Boles
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
Michael Grau
Deepti Zachariah
Ceyhun Baskin
Daniel Widrig
Murat Mutlu
Special thanks to Charles Walker
Main Contractor and Architect of Record
DiA Holding
Consultants
Tuncel Engineering, AKT (Structure)
GMD Project (Mechanical)
HB Engineering (Electrical)
Werner Sobek (Façade)
Etik Fire Consultancy (Fire)
Mezzo Stüdyo (Acoustic)
Enar Engineering (Geotechnical)
Sigal (Infrastructure)
MBLD (Lighting)
Subcontractors and manufacturers
MERO (Steel Space Frame System) + Bilim Makina (Installation of Space Frame
System)
Doka (Formwork)
Arabian Profile (External Cladding Panels / GRC & GRP)
Lindner (Internal Skin Cladding)
Sanset İkoor (Auditorium Wooden Cladding)
Quinette (Auditorium Seats)
Zumtobel (Lighting Fixtures)
Baswa (Special Acoustic Ceilings) + Astas (Installation of Ceilings)
Solarlux (Multipurpose Hall Façade Door)
Bolidt (Polyurethane Floor Finish)
Kone Elevators + Ikma (Installation of Elevators)
MM Mühendisler Mermer (Marble Cladding Works)
HRN Dizayn (Landscape LED Installation)
Thyssen Group (Escalator)
Remak Makina (Fire Doors and Concrete-Cladded Doors)
Tema (Gypsum Panel Works)
MIM Mühendislik (Structural Steel)
Elekon Enerji Sistemleri (Main Building Lighting Control System)
NIS Epoksi Kaplama Sistemleri (Epoxy Works)
Light Projects Group (Lighting Fixtures)
Limit Insaat (External Skin Insulations and Structure)
