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Architects: HOK
- Area: 234500 m²
- Year: 2013
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Photographs:Farid Khayrulin
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Manufacturers: Mikodam, Osram
Text description provided by the architects. Known as the ‘region of eternal fires’, Baku’s long history of fire worshiping provided the inspiration for the development’s iconic design, consisting of three flame shaped towers, each with a different function, set in a triangular shape. Standing at 140 metres high, Baku Flame Towers will be seen from most vantage points within the surrounding area and is already a prominent feature of the Baku skyline.
Baku Flame Towers is a project by Azinko Development MMC. HOK were appointed as the architect, DIA Holdings the design and build contractors and Hill International as the project managers.
HOK undertook the masterplanning, concept and schematic design for the site and towers, and construction work is already well underway. The residential tower sits to the south, accommodating some 130 residential apartments over 39 floors, and is the tallest of the three towers. It will house luxury apartments and boasts stunning views across the surrounding area, while the hotel is sited on the northern corner of the site and consists of 250 rooms and 61 serviced apartments over 33 floors. The office tower is set on the western side of the complex, providing a net 33.114 square metres of grade A flexible commercial office space.
HOK are currently completing the retail podium which will act as the anchor for the project, providing all of the leisure and retail facilities that will service the three towers and visitors to the development. Located at the heart of the site, the atrium incorporates three levels of leisure facilities including boutique shops, restaurants and a cinema. Where the towers and pavilions meet, gaps in the framework allow the surroundings to be drawn inside, the landscape of the street merging with the interior to create a fluid boundary between inside and outside space.
Barry Hughes, Head of Retail and Mixed Use said, “Our aim was for the bold form of the towers to create a unique focal point on Baku’s skyline and we were keen to that dynamic vocabulary into the interior spaces. By creating a fluid boundary between the interior space of the pavilions and the exterior context, the retail and leisure spaces would serve as a natural connection between the towers and their different uses. Linking the scheme to its surroundings and thus reinforcing the existing urban context was considered critical from the earliest stages of the design process.”
