ARCHITECTURE
BAKU SCIENCE CENTRE
LOCATION:
Baku, Azerbaijan
INFO:
As part of our rethinking of the space, we have included an extension of the existing building—one that straddles the boundary between land and sea. This extension aims to generate a new curious public space and landscape ground for both locals and tourists alike, while simultaneously taking advantage of Baku Science Centre’s waterfront location. The monumentality of the design is derived from the horizontal extension of the existing building’s volume and the symbolic significance of stretching the experience into the sea.
The building’s landmark feature is its reflective façade. Made up of multi-faceted aluminium panels, it reflects all that passes it by. The surrounding environment, whether the sea or Baku’s cityscape, is duplicated on the crafted metal envelope around the building, the same way science reflects society. The reflective façade allows the building to camouflage itself, to take on different shapes and colours. This changing exterior parallels the dynamism of the content housed inside Baku Science Centre, which is reviewed and refreshed at regular intervals to ensure it is always relevant. Because like science, Baku Science Centre must create and maintain a symbiotic relationship with the people that it seeks to engage and educate. It needs to reflect their needs.