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1. Unique Buildings!
Since the turn of the new millennium, the issue of designing and constructing
a unique building has gradually evolved into a widespread issue which is
commonly discussed among all the architects and designers. Due to the
overloaded urbanisation and industrialisation, the globe today is completely
different from what it used to be. And this is exactly why, designing unique
homes and buildings for different purposes which are space-saving, energy-saving
and for sure, eco-friendly is important nowadays, especially for the
architects. “It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; its the
construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time.” (Coe n.d.) There
are two different unique buildings which acquired the terms above, Heydar
Aliyev Cultural Center by Zaha Hadid and The Gherkin by Norman Foster.
Both of the buildings are different from the aspects of site location, structure
and layout, and finally, the functions of the buildings.!
The Gherkin (30 St Mary Axe) is a very well-known building in London,
United Kingdom due to its uniqueness. It is labelled as an iconic symbol of
London because it is one of the most widely recognised examples of
contemporary architecture in the city itself. Due to the building’s appearance
and its highly unorthodox layout, this is why the building was given a name as
“The Gherkin”. Meanwhile in Baku, the capital and also the largest city of
Azerbaijan, Zaha Hadid, an Iraqi-British architect has design a building coplex
which is Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center. The name “Heydar Aliyev” is the name
of the leader of Soviet-era Azerbaijan from 1969 to 1982, and president of
Azerbaijan from October 1993 to October 2003.!

2. The cigar-shaped structure of The Gherkin has a steel frame with circular
floor plans and a glass façade with diamond-shaped panels. The swirling
striped pattern which is visible on the exterior allows the air to flow up through
spiralling wells and this advanced natural ventilation system reduces the
usage of energy by half. The unorthodox layout of this building adds to the
efficiency of the building by allowing natural ventilation and minimise the
usage of artificial lighting. In addition, the “diagrid” response to the building’s
curved shape and provides vertical support to the floors, and thus, allowing
large internal column free office space. On the other hand, the main structure
of the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center is a mix of reinforced concrete, steel
frames, and also composite beams and decks. The space frame is composed
of a special steel tube-and-nodes. Glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRG) which
is dirty repellent itself, was chosen as the external cladding material. However,
in order to achieve a lightweight construction method, glass fibre reinforced
plastics (GFRG) and glass fibre reinforced concrete (GFRC) are the
predominant materials used in the façade system (Dispenza 2011.) Both of
these materials are durable and can be made in a very thin way, only a few
mm or cm as there is no concrete cover needed. Another speciality about this
building is its lighting design. During the day, the building’s volume reflects
light, constantly altering the centre’s appearance according to the time of day
and viewing perspective. !
The Gherkin Building 180metres (591 ft) tall and it occupies 516,000 square
ft of land. It has 41 storeys. This building acts as a commercial skyscraper
which provides accommodation including offices and shopping arcade. Best
about this building is, it provides a 360 degrees panorama view across the

3. capital on the top of itself. There are 18 passenger lifts in the building which
378 people can be vertically transported through the building at speeds up to
6 metres per second at any time. While for the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center,
it is not as tall as The Gherkin, it is only 74 metres tall, but, it occupies about
619,000 square ft of area which is obviously bigger than The Gherkin. Heydar
Aliyev Cultural Center is a mixed-use venue featuring a conference hall,
library, museum and a sculpted parkland. The 9ha project is held up by the
government as a project of national importance ahead of Baku’s bid for the
2016 Olympics.!
As a conclusion, both of the buildings have its pros and cons in different
aspects such as location, location, structure and layout, and also, the
functions of the buildings. But for these reasons mentioned and others, The
Gherkin Building in London is more advisable for individuals for whom a better
quality of life is non-negotiable as it is more eco-friendly than Heydar Aliyev
Cultural Center in Baku.!
(764 words)