Baku Flame Towers. Image Source: Buildipedia
Azerbaijan’s Baku Flame Towers were recently took home the title of Best Hotel & Tourism Resort at the 2013 MIPIM Awards, held in Cannes, France.
Designed by HOK architects and developed by Azinko Development, the towers cost US $350 million to build and check in at 234,500 square metres, becoming landmarks.
The building’s westernmost tower is home to 34 floors, or 355,000 square feet, of commercial office space while the other two towers consist of 39 floors of residential and 37 floors of hotel space, respectively. The towers are connected at the base of the structure. Retail and leisure space is housed in a podium which stands 78 metres high.
Baku Flame Towers. Image Source: Buildipedia
The development has been shaped to resemble three flames and shrouded in orange and blue tinted glass which encases a honey-combed roofed podium. More than 10,000 LED luminaires are said to power the giant display screens on the towers’ façades. This LED façade displays an image of moving flames which can be seen from some of the furthest points in Baku.
The development is situated within a city which has been at risk of destabilise=ing for many years. With a challenging climate, the city is used to gale force winds and seismic collisions. The city is also within the proximity of the world’s largest oil reserves. However, after declaring its independence, Azerbaijan has also announced the integration of a lucrative oil pipeline, meaning that Baku has great potential for urban development.
Baku Flame Towers. Image Source: Buildipedia
The entire building had to be weighted to withstand potential natural disasters such as earthquakes and there were elements of the building which had to be built without the use of cranes owing to the area’s strong winds.
The finished towers sit on a hillside close to the Caspian Sea. The award-winning design represents a changing time for the city, and that in itself helps give the development iconic status.
By Jemilla Russell-Clough
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