Heydar Aliyev Center

The Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku is one of Azerbaijan’s best-known works of contemporary architecture. Zaha Hadid designed the building in 2007, and it officially opened on May 10, 2012, marking the 89th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev’s birth.

The center immediately attracted attention for its unconventional form, free from sharp corners and conventional straight lines. In 2014, it received the international Design of the Year award as the world’s leading architectural project of the year. It is now regarded as a symbol of modern Baku and an example of innovative architectural thinking.

The building is defined by flowing curves with almost no straight lines, as though it rises from the earth and moves toward the sky. Its interior is largely free of columns, allowing visitors to move through open spaces. The roof consists of 12,000 unique panels—triangles, trapezoids, and parallelograms—with no two exactly alike. Despite its fluid appearance, the structure is engineered to withstand Baku’s strong winds.