HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER

Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects

Engineer: GMD Engineers, Etik Engineers

Location: Baku, Azerbaijan

Year: 2013

Location Image of the Cultural Center

INTRODUCTION:
Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre, a mixed-use venue featuring a
conference hall, library, and museum, is scheduled to open in
September 2011 in the city of Baku, Azerbaijan. And it played an
extremely important role in the development of the city. It breaks
from the rigid and often monumental Soviet architecture that is so
prevalent in Baku. More importantly, it is a symbol of democratic
philosophy thought.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Site Area: 1, 01,801 m²

Building Area: 57,519 m²

Span: 3,200 m

Height: 74 m

Materials: Cement, Glass,

WIND LOAD:
The surface area of inner skin is 22,000 square meters, we estimate one sixths is exposed to the
wind’s direction, so A equals to 3666.7 square meters. P equals to 0.00256 multiplies the quadratic
of V, which stands for local wind speed, and the number is 14mph. So we get P is 2.44 kilogram per
square meters. For a flat area, Cd is 1.4. So we can calculate F is 3.72KN.

Moment Diagram under wind load Shear diagram under WL Member axial reactions under WL
GRAVITY:
For gravity, the construction has been used 121,000 cube meters of reinforced concrete, 194,000tn
formwork and 19,000tn mild steel. The density of reinforced concrete is 2400 kilogram per cube
meters, so we can use 2400 to multiply 121,000 to get the weight of reinforced concrete, and the
number is 290,400, 000 kilogram.

• Since 1tn=907.2kg, and we already know it uses 194,000tn formwork and 19,000tn mild steel, we
can convert it to kilogram. The weight of formwork is 175,996,800kg, while the weight of mild steel
is 17,236,800kg.

• Adding these three number together, we can get the total weight is 483,633,600kg, or
4739609.28KN

• The total floor area is 101,801 square meters, so we use 4739609.28 divided by 101,801 to get
46.56 KN per square meters.

Moment Diagram under gravity Shear diagram under gravity Member axial reactions under gravity

CONSTRUCTION:
In the construction of this structure “space frame work” used in
order to create the curved surfaces. First, body of the building
was created. Then, space frame work was added on it. Lastly
panel were placed on the frame work in order to create the
surfaces. Also, another interesting aspect of this structure is
that a new column method which called “boot column” was
used in the construction of the body. Boot columns are curved
columns which are used for having bigger open spaces.

It was necessary to construct a building that could seal out the elements and bear high wind and
seismic loads without relying on interior support columns (which would have impeded the flow of
space). The spatial framework system allows the construction a free-form structure and was also
designed to save time throughout the construction process, while the substructure was developed
to incorporate a flexible relationship between the rigid grid-work of the spatial structure and the
seams of the free-form exterior cladding.

STRUCTURAL SYSTEM:
Heydar Aliyev center consists mainly of two structural systems that work together: the first one
constructed by reinforced concrete material that forms the boundaries (internal walls) of the three
buildings, while the second one is space frame structure (DLG) constructed by steel material.
The steel flooring platforms and the intriguing steel boot columns that connected with concrete
walls. These columns and beams increase the rigidity of the space frame , the static of glass walls
and connecting the concrete structure with the steel structure, creating a steel bridges which
connecting the internal utilities in the upper floors of the buildings sporadically.

MATERIAL:
The cladding and Ceiling materials have been used in Heydar Aliyev center are Glass Fiber
Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) with Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP), while GFRC and GFRP act
together and each beating the deficits of the other. The building, whose smooth, distorted grid-work
of polyester-reinforced fibreglass panels do not have visible connections, appears less “as built” and
more “as landed”.

In the construction, they used 121,000m³ of reinforced concrete, 194,000 formworks and 19,000
tonnes of steel moulds. To create the shape of the external skin, 5,500 tonnes of structural steel
were required, creating the base for a surface of 40,000m² formed of panels of fibreglass reinforced
with polyester or concrete. There were a total of around 17,000 individual panels with various
geometries.

BUILDING COMPONENTS AND SYSTEM:

The space frame enables the construction of this free form structure while offering significant
savings in time throughout the construction process. The surface geometry driven by the
architecture, dictates the need to pursue unconventional structural solutions; the introduction of
curved ‘boot columns’ to achieve the inverse peel of the surface from the ground at the west, and
the cantilever beams ‘dovetails’ tapering towards the free end, supporting building envelope at the
east. The substructure enables the incorporation of a flexible relationship between the rigid
structural grid of the space frame and the free- formed exterior cladding seams which derive from
complex geometry rationalization, architectural aesthetics and usage.

Concrete

Reinforced concrete is mainly used to construct shear walls as the partition to separate main spaces
and to support the space frame. It also used to construct the footing of the building. As Earthquakes
are one of the biggest threats to construction in Baku, the building must be reinforced by massive
150-foot-long concrete piles buried below the Earth's surface to withstand an earthquake measuring
up to magnitude 7.0.

SPECIAL NODES:

Due to the large span of the space frame, it is connected to the reinforced concrete structure in
addition to the support of the columns and directly to the foundation, in order to maintain the
stability of the structure as much as possible. The method of maintaining stability is to extend the
steel core beam from the reinforced concrete core tube, fix the vertical steel member to the joist,
and connect the space frame to the joist. As shown in the figure, the space frame will be subjected
to a large bending moment. In order to solve this problem and ensure structural stability, the
structural engineer will thicken the space grid here, from the other parts of the single layer into
multi-layer, to provide adequate bending resistance.

CONCLUSION:
The design of the Heydar Aliyev Center establishes a continuous, fluid relationship between its
surrounding plaza and the building’s interior. This was achieved by using an ingenious and elegant
structure system, which has two collaborating systems: a concrete structure combined with a space
frame system. Because vertical structural elements are absorbed by the envelope and curtain wall
system, the large-scale column-free spaces can allow the visitor to experience the fluidity of the
interior. Another important issue is the building’s skin. To make the surface so continuous that it
appears homogenous, a broad range of different functions, construction logics and technical systems
were brought together and integrated into the building’s envelope. It makes the building appear
homogenous since different parts were covered and connected. From this case, by analysing the
structural system and its relation with the exterior skin, we have seen how the structure design can
better help the design concept come true.