Heydar Aliyev Center nominated for RIBA award

/By Azernews/

By Nigar Abbasova

The Heydar Aliyev Center, brand design project of the world famous architect Zaha Hadid has been nominated for 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, was included in a thirty-strong shortlist of architectural projects from around the world that has been unveiled by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on May 10.

The list includes buildings from more than 20 countries -- from China to Columbia, from Ireland to Azerbaijan.

An international jury chaired by the owner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, renowned British architect Richard Rogers, will visit the 30 selected projects this summer before naming 20 winners of the RIBA Awards for International Excellence. An additional judging round will provide the six finalists to be assessed by the grand jury, which will visit each project in the autumn and announce the winner in December 2016.

Wide variety of buildings including large structural projects, private residential buildings, cultural centers, and meeting houses participate in the contest to obtain the award and the status of the most significant and inspirational piece of architecture of the year.

The center is composed of a conference hall, a gallery hall and a museum. Main fields of activities of the center are researching and promotion of Heydar Aliyev’s heritage, implementation of different projects for the development of science, education, health, culture and economy, presentation and promotion of Azerbaijan’s history and culture, the Azerbaijani language and national values-throughout the world, promotion of the world cultural heritage and accomplishments of various civilizations in Azerbaijan, the organization of local, regional and international conferences, symposiums and other events.

Alongside with Heydar Aliyev Centre another project of Zaha Hadid the Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus (Jockey Club Innovation Tower) competes for the prize.

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.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (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.