Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

The futuristic Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku has been nominated for the International Architecture Prize of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

The building, which was rewarded London Design Meseum Award in 2014 for a unique design, is now among six nominees for the prestigious prize, CNN reported.

The list also includes the building of the Center of Arts in the Azores (Portugal); Museum in Mexico; Civic Center in Norway; University of Peru and the War Memorial of the First World War in France.

These six projects have been selected as nominees to receive the RIBA International Prize out of 30 architectural projects scattered across five continents.

The buildings will now be visited by the Grand Jury of the Prize before the winner is announced on November 30. Setting a new global standard for architectural achievement, the prize will be judged by a grand jury of experts chaired by world-renowned architect, Lord Richard Rogers of Riverside.

The Heydar Aliyev Centre designed offers a vibrant programme of arts, music and performance to audiences in the vaulted spaces and distinctive wave-like form that dominates the eastern aspect of the city.

The bright white pearl of modern Baku is a masterpiece of Zaha Hadid, Iraqi-British architect. Recognized as an architectural masterwork, the Heydar Aliyev Center has immediately grown into a signature architectural landmark of modern Baku.

The building has three separate ‘zones’ generated from the original brief – a library, permanent exhibition as well as an auditorium with multipurpose support spaces. The white interior has the scale of an ocean liner with waves of curling white plaster enveloping the balconies as they wrap and coil around the auditorium.

The Royal Institute of British Architects is a union of professional architects. RIBA presents regional and national awards since 1966. The prize joins a portfolio of other awards organized by the RIBA, including the Royal Gold Medal and the RIBA Stirling Prize.

RIBA is the professional body with its headquarters in London, UK founded in 1834 for the advancement of architecture. RIBA is considered to be the greatest authority in the sphere of architecture. The first ever RIBA International Award will be presented in December, 2016.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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