Alan Barnes Scholarship takes student on a journey to Azerbaijan

13 November 2024

Every year, the RSUA runs the Alan Barnes Scholarship for 3rd Year Undergraduates. The Scholarship offers the opportunity for Architecture students to travel to discover architecture in a destination of their choosing. Find out more about the Alan Barnes Scholarship here.

Daniel Vasey was the winner of the 2024 Alan Barnes Travel Scholarship Award, and chose to travel to Baku, Azerbaijan. You can read Daniel’s full report of his trip below.

From the Medieval heart to the modern glass high-rise developments, the architecture of Baku reveals a long and diverse history of a city developed through several distinct styles and periods. Baku offers a blend of ultra-modern structures and buildings of cultural and historical significance, which creates a dynamic and unique skyline.

Progressing from early examples of Islamic architecture dating back to the 12th Century, the development of the city increased at a rapid pace as a result of the oil boom in the 19th century. This facilitated the transformation from a small town into an evolving industrial cosmopolitan city, bringing a wealth of cultural diversity and a mixing of ethnic backgrounds, resulting in an eclectic mix of architectural styles and influences. This period gave Baku architectural precedents in Neo-classical, German, Russian and Renaissance styles. In the 20th Century Baku was a part of the Soviet Union, and therefore the architectural developments represented the modern style adopted by the soviet leaders of the time.

Constructivism was a popular movement which was adopted in this period in Baku, with heavy Russian influence, orientated towards utilitarian attitudes and rejecting ornamentation, resulting in a sharp contrast to the architecture of the previous period. Since gaining independence in 1991, the city has begun a new period of architectural development, with a contemporary interpretation, reflecting current attitudes to the environment and design, resulting in a wealth of mega-structures providing a definitive statement of intent for the future of the city.

My initial intentions for study during this trip were to gain an understanding of the current approach to architectural design and the way in which this both contrasts and enhances the existing architectural heritage of the city, which could provide an interesting comparison to our own attitudes to conservation within the context of city planning.

Before setting off on my travels, I researched the Baku General Masterplan, devised in association with AS + P Architects to gain an understanding of the aims for the city in future. The purpose of the development plan is to outline the main areas for development until 2040, dividing into four key areas of development. This provided the basis for my visit, allowing me to pick out key representative examples to understand the path of development for Baku.

Priority 1 of the plan aims to strengthen the current infrastructure of the city and its wider context, focusing on the decentralization of services and prioritising the development of the public transport network. I myself was able to experience this from the beginning of the trip, witnessing a notable emphasis on creating both options and opportunity to commuters by connecting various forms of public transportation. This is evident more recently with the integration of electric scooters and bicycles within the transport network of the central city, including dedicated cycle lanes and designated docking stations connecting to existing transport networks such as the Baku metro underground.

However, there are still clear areas for improvement. The safety of road crossings within the city, however, would deter people from choosing to walk in areas with busy traffic links, with several road crossings lacking suitable traffic controlling measures such as lights, creating unease with pedestrians. A recent development addressing this issue in part of the city is Central Park. Merging major transport links with public walkways and green space, the area creates a much safer and accessible area for pedestrians to reach the centre of the city, without disrupting the flow of traffic. This project also exemplifies the rational use of recommissioned space, previously occupied by dense, poor-quality housing.

Providing suitable areas of public space is of vital importance in Baku due to the high-rise typology of the inner city. Priority two of the development plan addresses this factor, whilst also considering an approach to ecology with the aim of creating a developed system of public spaces with a ‘clean city’ approach. One of the most notable areas of public space within the city is the Baku Boulevard, an esplanade which stretches along the bay, encompassing viewpoints, restaurants and greenspace. This space improves the walkability of the city by providing pedestrian access and bicycle lanes to either side of the city, but also provides an area of calm, away from the wide transport networks and areas of dense buildings.

Further from the centre, and several hundred steps up, is the aptly named Highland Park, the perfect destination at sunset within the city. Featuring an impressive view of the city’s skyline, this area of public space provides visitors with an opportunity to witness the famous light show which occurs every night at 20:00 on the façade of the flame towers directly adjacent to the park.

More recent architectural developments in the city have had a focus on maximising usable space by developing upwards to accommodate the growing urban population and increasing rates of tourism. I visited several developments in Baku which combined several popular businesses, retail and recreational activities, notably the Deniz Mall and recently completed Crescent Bay development project. The Port Baku development also incorporates three residential towers above, but also utilises the increased roof space due to its tiered design to provide private and semi-private green space and reception areas, contributing to urban greenery and reducing the heat island effect.

As previously stated, the cultural and historic value of the city is of vital importance to the understanding of the development plan of the city. The preservation of historical heritage and development of cultural life are key elements of priority three of the development plan, with the aim to maintain the spirit of the city and increase the tourism potential. During my trip to the old city of Baku, I visited several UNESCO world heritage sites including the 12th Century Maiden Tower and 15th Century Palace of the Shirvanshahs (IMAGES 19-23)

This highlighted the intention to enhance the tourist value from these historical sites, especially with the recent adaptions and maintenance focusing on creating an engaging and informative experience for visitors. The Maiden Tower for example features enhancements to the interior to create a museum for tourists, which may reduce the historical integrity of the site; however, it becomes more accessible and entertaining as an experience. The significance of the tower as a landmark also attracts local tour guides and market stalls to the area, creating a local hub for trade and entertainment.

Walking through the narrow, cobbled streets of the old city provided a visible contrast to the architecture I had experienced at that point of my visit. The architecture of the old city offered a vivid testament to the development of the city, especially when viewing the modern developments in the distance, further highlighting my view of Baku as the city of contrasts.

The influence of the economic power of tourism is evident within the development plan of Baku. The final area of the development plan highlights the desire to transform the city into a tourist hotspot. As a tourist myself, I was able to recognise this within the recent architectural developments. The Flame Towers by HOK Architects is a perfect example of the tangible connection between architecture and tourism, featuring the impressive light show on its façade, creating a visible symbol of Baku.

On of the most famous examples of Baku’s Architecture is the Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by architect Zaha Hadid. The fluid forms of this building break from the existing rigidity of the soviet architectural context. The surrounding plaza, fully accessible, leads up to the Center, providing opportunity for recreation and leisure on the approach to the Center. The sequential rise from the edge of the plaza is replicated within the interior, defining a series of event spaces which depict Azeri culture. The smooth curves and oscillations create a form which welcomes visitors evoking an atmosphere of tranquillity, utilizing its form to create spaces of light and shadow.

On this day, I also had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Modern Art, another popular destination for tourism. Designed in the Avant Garde style, the interior of this museum complements the artworks within, with its bold modern structural features acting almost as an art piece themselves.

I was fortunate enough to visit Baku whilst the city was preparing to host the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This event sees the streets of the city transformed into a 3.7 mile street racing circuit for three days per year, which attracts hundreds of thousands of fans to the city each year, and over one million viewers during the race weekend. This, as you would imagine, causes some disruption to the traffic flow of the city and requires a high level of planning and preparation each year, taking around five months to fully convert the streets into a safe place to race. However, staging of this event in the city not only boosts the tourism during this event but also advertises the city to a large audience around the world, which creates long-term economic benefits for the city, risking short-term disruption to achieve long-term benefit.

Upon reflection of the time spent in Baku, I have concluded that the implementation of the development plan in Baku has assisted in shaping the development of the city as a tourist destination whilst respecting the cultures and traditions of the residents of Baku. The striking contemporary architectural style is prominent within the wider context of the city but does not detract from the overall appearance of the city. In fact, this contrast not only emphasizes the evolution of the city but also promotes innovative environmental design solutions which will shape the future of the city. Other cities can learn valuable lessons from this approach. By embracing modernity and tradition, we can create vibrant and dynamic environments which attract tourism, stimulate economic growth and enhance community pride, whilst maintaining a respectful dialogue between the past, present and future.