The Heydar Aliyev Center was completed in 2012. Its official soft-opening ceremony took place on 10 May 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan, making that year the standard completion date used for the building.
The center was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects after Zaha Hadid was appointed design architect in 2007. Its sweeping white exterior was conceived as a continuous, flowing surface that rises from and folds into the surrounding landscape, avoiding the sharp right angles associated with many conventional buildings.
The complex contains a conference hall, gallery spaces, and a museum. It forms part of Baku’s redevelopment and cultural infrastructure, and it is named for Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s former Communist Party leader and president. The building’s roof reaches about 74 meters.
A frequent source of confusion is the difference between the project’s design, construction, and opening dates. Construction began in 2007, while the building’s public opening and completion are associated with 2012. The center’s fluid neo-futurist design is also sometimes incorrectly attributed to a generic studio rather than to Zaha Hadid Architects.