Heydar Aliyev Center among world’s most spectacular concert halls
By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijan's Heydar Aliyev Center was named as one of the most spectacular concert halls in the world by building data company, Emporis.
The Center, which opened in the Azerbaijani capital on May 10, 2012 on the 89th birthday anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, was established in December 2006.
The Heydar Aliyev Center has fluid forms that contrast to the rigid, monumental architecture of the city. It has been designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.
CNN reports the center is highlighted as an example of an "extraordinary" concert structure. "The white building's curved, wave-like shape makes it seem as if it has been "poured" into the landscape."
The list also includes Berlin's Philharmonie building, the Cidade das Artes in Rio de Janeiro and Singapore's Esplanade Concert Hall, while the United States and Spain both get two entries.
The Heydar Aliyev Center's building astonishes the audience with its design, the internal and external harmony, and its aura, created by Zaha Hadid, a renowned architect and the first woman who won the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
The overall shape of the building resembles a wave-like ascension from the ground towards the sky followed by a gradual descent towards the ground. The lines on the building connect the past to the present, portraying an eternal cycle.
The harmonious link between the exterior and the interior aspires to remove any boundaries in the building's perception considering the fact that this place is meant to be open to anyone irrespective of gender, race, and origin by bringing people together and uniting them by shared ideas. .
The Center houses a conference hall, a gallery hall, and a museum, holds exhibitions and concerts with the purpose of supporting the development of culture and introducing world culture to Azerbaijan.