Structure -HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER-Cultural CenterMERO double-curved space frame structure supporting solid external and internal envelope: MERO KK system (Fabricated by MERO-TSK Germany) made of solid steel ball nodes and CHS members.Nodes with diameter between 110 and 350 mm and up to 16 threaded holes in different directions. Due to double-curved geometry all nodes and members are different and individually produced. Members with diameter from 60.3 to 273 mm automatically prefabricated of steel cones, CHS pipes, threaded bolts and sleeves, up to 4.5 m long.All node and tube connections assembled on site without any welding. To achieve high corrosion protection all parts are galvanized and coated in accordance with DIN EN ISO 12944.All Items are under strict MERO quality control in accordance with DIN ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.Curved boot columnsat ground level connection points enable inverse peel of solid external skin on the west side of the building from the plaza floor surface. MEROAdditional framingconstruction: In situ concrete sheer walls and floors, steel floors.External skin (HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER ): Solid external skin: Fiberglass reinforced polyester rain screen cladding panels to roof higher than datum at approximately 3 m above ground level. Arabian Profile. Color match with off-white fiberglass reinforced concrete panels achieved by using a gelcoat layer with special mixture for visible faces. Sheen, sparkle, and texture to match fiberglass reinforced concrete panels. 120 mm returns on all edges. 50 mm wide primary joints between panels, allowing access to fixings, with 15 mm wide transverse joints. Support structure for external skin panels: Curved primary transverse steel tubes with rod connections to space frame. Secondary longitudinal steel tubes spanning between primaries and supporting rain screen panels. Weatherproofing: Prefabricated trays comprising U-profile purlins fixed to space frame stools supporting trapezoidal metal decks supporting rigid insulation boards with weatherproof membranes above and self-adhesive vapor barriers below. Roof drainage: Weirs in weatherproofing below roof rain screen discharging into downpipes. Access and maintenance system: Solid external envelope: cherry pickers, safety point hooks in 50 mm gaps between panels at approx. 3 m centers, with rappelling strategy for steepest surfaces. Glass curtain walling: Unitized structurally bonded fixed glazing with split mullions and transoms, adaptor frames, and vertical cover profiles. Suspension points at tops of units. Insulating glass units with combined solar-control coating and low-e coating on the outer panes. Inner and outer panes contain fully tempered safety glass. Outer pane: laminated glass with polyvinyl butyral laminate, either standard PVB laminate for medium acoustic requirements or with noise-control foil. 2-pane insulated glass units comprise laminated glass with 2 panes 6 mm tempered glass externally. Glass heat soak tested to EN 14179, combined solar-control coating and low-e coating on face 2. 16 mm air cavity with highly insulating spacer, stainless steel spacer, or comparable. 8 mm tempered glass to inside heat soak tested to EN 14179. Acoustic insulation: max. Rcwtr = 41 dB required for glazing.The insulated glass units allow and guarantee for a deflection of the glass panel edge of up to L /150 (approx. 25 mm over a length of 4 m). Deflection in the middle of panes with supports along all edges not limited to a certain value.Structural silicone seals to inner and outer panes of insulating glass units.Mullions and transoms aluminum extruded rectangular/ polygonal sections to outside. Mullions and transoms:Curved glass panels around museum / tunnel elevation: tempered outer pane, with enamel frit at the edges to cover the spacer bonding, with bendable and temperable solar-control coating.

ProjectHEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER.ArchitectZaha Hadid Architects.DesignZaha Hadidand Patrik Schumacher with Saffet Kaya Bekiroglu.Project ArchitectSaffet Kaya BekirogluProject Team Sara Sheikh Akbari, Shiqi Li, Phil Soo Kim, Marc Boles, Yelda Gin, Liat Muller, Deniz Manisali, Lillie Liu, Jose Lemos, Simone Fuchs, Jose Ramon Tramoyeres, Yu Du, Tahmina Parvin, Erhan Patat, Fadi Mansour, Jaime Bartolome, Josef Glas, Michael Grau, Deepti Zachariah, Ceyhun Baskin, Daniel Widrig, Special thanks to Charles WalkerHEYDAR ALIYEV CENTERFACTS AND FIGURES

Project nameHeydar Aliyev CenterLocationBaku, AzerbaijanStart of projectSeptember 2007CompletionMay 10, 2012ClientThe Republic of AzerbaijanProgramMixed-usecultural centerProcurementDesign-buildTotal floor area101,801 m2Site area111,292 m2Auditorium capacity1,000Unique fiberglass reinforced polyester panels13,000 (40,000 m2)Fiberglass reinforced concrete panels 3,150 (10,000 m2) GRC panels Fiberglass reinforced polyester panel production Max 70 unique panels per day Museum space frame 12,569 Members / 3,266 Nodes Auditorium space frame 17,269 Members /4,513 Nodes Total surface space frame area approx. 33,000 m2 Internal skin fixing plates 70,000 Surface area of inner skin Over 22,000 m2 Metal deck roof purlins at tender stage 3,607total length 10,092m Metal roof deck trays at tender stage 3,936total area 26,853 m2 Roof area 39,000 m2

TheHeydar Aliyev Centeris a 619,000-square-foot building complex inBaku, Azerbaijandesigned by Iraqi-British architectZaha Hadidand noted for its distinctive architecture and flowing, curved style that eschews sharp angles.[1]The center is named forHeydar Aliyev, the leader of Soviet-era Azerbaijan from 1969 to 1982, and president of Azerbaijan from October 1993 to October 2003.Design[edit]

The Center on a 20-qapikstamp for the2012 Eurovision Song Contest, held in BakuThe Center houses a conference hall (auditorium), a gallery hall and a museum. The project is intended to play an integral role in the intellectual life of the city. Located close to the city center, the site plays a pivotal role in the redevelopment of Baku.The Heydar Aliyev Center represents a fluid form which emerges by the folding of the landscapes natural topography and by the wrapping of individual functions of the Center. All functions of the Center, together with entrances, are represented by folds in a single continuous surface. This fluid form gives an opportunity to connect the various cultural spaces whilst at the same time, providing each element of the Center with its own identity and privacy. As it folds inside, the skin erodes away to become an element of the interior landscape of the Center.[2]Heydar Aliyev Center had an official soft-opening ceremony on 10 May 2012 held by current president of AzerbaijanIlham Aliyev.[3]An internationally recognized architectural work, the building of the Heydar Aliyev Center has become a signature landmark of modern Baku due to its innovative and cutting-edge design. The building was nominated for awards in 2013 at both the World Architecture Festival and the biennial Inside Festival.[4]In 2014, Centre won the Design Museums Design of the Year Award 2014 despite concerns about the site's human rights record.[5][6]This makesZaha Hadidthe first woman to win the top prize in that competition.[7]In popular culture[edit]The building was featured inExtreme Engineering, adocumentarytelevision seriesthat airs on theDiscovery Channeland theScience Channel. The episode called "Azerbaijan's Amazing Transformation" was aired on April 22, 2011 as part of Season 9.Ongoing activities[edit]On June 29, 2012, the Heydar Aliyev Center held the official opening of Crans Montana Forum, attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili, President of Macedonia Georgi Ivanov, President of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic, as well as foreign public figures, MPs, intellectuals, and business circles.[8]On July 3, 2012, the Center held the ceremony of the official seeing-off of the Azerbaijani delegation to take part in the XXX Summer Olympic Games in London. The ceremony was attended by the President Republic of Azerbaijan, President of the National Olympic Committee Ilham Aliyev and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva. Photo banners reflecting the Olympic movement in Azerbaijan were installed in the lobby of the Heydar Aliyev Center. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a speech at the ceremony.On Nov. 2 and 3, 2013, Moscow music theater Helikon-Opera under the direction of People's Artist of Russia Dmitry Bertmann presented performances at the Heydar Aliyev Center. On Nov. 2, the Helikon-Opera presented a gala concert The Enduring Love, a program that included lyric songs by Marilyn Monroe, Tina Turner, Elton John, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, The Beatles, with All You Need is Love, I believe in Love,Je Suis Malade, Only You, Lady in Red, Love me Tender performed. On Nov.3, the artists of the theater performed the opera Siberia by the Italian composer Umberto Giordano staged by Dmitry Bertmann. The opera narrates the story of love between two young people, which starts at brilliant imperial St. Petersburg and ends tragically in hard labor in Siberia.[9]Exhibitions[edit]Life, Death, and Beauty[edit]On June 21, 2013, the Center held the opening of the exhibition of works by American artist Andy Warhol titled Life, Death, and Beauty supervised by Gianni Mercurio, dated for the 85th anniversary of the artist. The exhibition, taking place first ever in Azerbaijan, displayed over one hundred works by the artist, including featurettes by Warhol [15]. There were shown photos of the author, portraits of the world film, music, and fashion stars, as well as other world-renowned works, with "Flowers" "Camouflage", The Last Supper, Male Hands Praying, Electric Chair, etc. On August 6, the artist's birthday, Baku residents and visitors could freely visit the exhibition, which ran till September 9.[10]At the turn of the century[edit]On October 1, 2013, the Heydar Aliyev Center held a personal exhibition of the People's Artist of Azerbaijan, vice- president of the Russian Academy of Arts Tahir Salakhov titled At the turn of the century. The exhibition was dated for the 85th anniversary of the artist. His great contribution to the development of the Azerbaijani fine art was highlighted at the exhibition opening. The artistic heritage of Tahir Salakhov is an integral part of the art of not only Azerbaijan, but also the entire former Soviet Union. He is recognized as one of the founders of the severe style in painting. The exhibition featured over 100 works by the artist, created at different times, and his works on the carpets. There are portraits of Heydar Aliyev, the composer Gara Garayev and Dmitri Shostakovich, the musician Mstislav Rostropovich, the works Aidan, Morning. Absheron,Koroglu, Absheron triptych Atyashgyah, The Caspian today, Maiden Tower, and other well-known works of the peoples artist. The exhibition ran till November 8.[11]

Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, Baku Location:Baku Architects:Zaha Hadid, London Client:DIA Holding, IstanbulNear the center of the Azerbaijanian capital Baku, on the Caspian Sea, one of the most distinctive buildings of the country was installed. In memory to his deceased father, the late President Heydar Aliyev, President Ilham Aliyev has initiated the construction of a superlative cultural centre.The futuristic design was developed by famous London architect Zaha Hadid and unmistakably bears her signature in form and style.The supporting structure of the building envelope is a MERO KK ball node system.In comparison to the originally projected steel structure, this type of construction has many advantages for the design, production and above all for the erection, all complicated by this very sophisticated geometry.

The visible cladding consists of fibre-glass reinforced concrete slabs which are not part of MERO-TSK's work.The Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center houses three concert and conference halls of varying dimensions, a library, restaurants and a museum. The surrounding urban complex will feature hotels, office buildings, shopping malls and generously dimensioned outdoor facilities.This project is an impressive example of the economical benefits derived from using a MERO space frame structure for the realization of extremely complex roof constructions.