Admission Ticket: Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center

The Heydar Aliyev Center, which was designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid and completed in 2012, is rumoured to be one of the most expensive buildings in Europe per square foot. Its rolling, flowing design made waves within architectural, engineering, and design circles and garnered it much prestigious international recognition. Its odd design stands in stark contrast to the Soviet Modernist styles typically found throughout Baku. Inside, the building offers a tranquil environment full of white space and curved lines. The centre contains a museum, gallery hall, and auditorium. Its fluid, folding walls are symbolic of its relationship with the physical and cultural landscape of the city. The entire design is meant to represent Azerbaijan’s dedication to blending its past with its future, as evidenced by the building’s slogan of, “To the future with values!”