Heydar Aliyev Centre is the ultimate expression of parametricism's seamless fluidity

Our parametricism series launches with a look at the Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan. Designed by Zaha Hadid, the project was described by the architect as the "closest thing" to translating her theoretical visions into a built reality.

Completed by Zaha Hadid Architects in 2012, the 57,000-square-metre centre contains a 1,000-seat auditorium alongside exhibition and conference spaces, all enveloped by a flowing roof designed to appear as a seamless extension of the surrounding plaza.