Heydar Aliyev Centre

Zaha Hadid won a competition to design the 57,000-square metre-building in 2007. Its shell is made from a steel space frame and glass-fibre-reinforced concrete panels, concealing the vertical supports within the walls. This building has a very modern feel to it due to the curves and smooth rounded edges, which creates a unique shape. 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.

The Heydar Aliyev Center is a 57,500 m² building complex in Baku, Azerbaijan designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid and noted for its distinctive architecture and flowing, curved style that eschews sharp angles.