Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Visually striking and yet highly functional, the Alisher Navoi International Scientific Research Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects will become a state-of-the-art cultural research center and is intended to become a landmark of scientific, cultural, and educational importance in Uzbekistan.
This architectural project will be created to honor the celebrated 15th-century local poet, philosopher, and scholar Alisher Navoi.
Zaha Hadid Architects is known for its highly fluid, futuristic, and innovative designs, often incorporating organic, curvilinear forms and groundbreaking technology.
The Alisher Navoi International Scientific Research Centre will feature a modern, avant-garde architectural style, blending innovative geometry with symbolism connected to Navoi’s cultural and intellectual contributions.
The building material allows for curvilinear geometries, a reference to the region’s traditional architecture.
Courtyards are also strategically integrated to ensure natural light and ventilation throughout, while also improving the functionality and appeal of the educational spaces.
These spaces provide tranquil areas for outdoor gatherings and moments of personal reflection, complementing the indoor environments.
The design incorporates passive architectural principles, ensuring minimal energy consumption while maintaining optimal indoor conditions.
Inspired by the wind towers typical of Central Asian and Middle Eastern architecture, the building’s arches function as hollow structures that channel cool air into the interior, even during hot months.
This natural ventilation system is augmented with fans and misting when necessary, while a thermal chimney effect helps extract hot air upwards in the absence of wind.
These sustainable design features, alongside the high thermal mass of the structure, maintain comfort throughout the year.
The passive strategy also incorporates skylights for natural light and overhangs for effective solar shading.
The landscaping surrounding the center also takes cues from the local cultures, inspired by the traditional Shashmaqom music—a classical music form where vocal and instrumental elements interweave.
Consequently, the outdoor spaces feature a series of landscaped terraces, open-air amphitheaters, and shaded pavilions.
These areas foster community engagement and provide settings for impromptu performances, making the center not only a hub for educational and research activities but also a venue for the performing arts.
Project: Alisher Navoi International Scientific Research Centre
Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects
Lead Architect: Patrick Schumacher
Project Director: Paolo Mateuzzi
Structural Engineers: Buro Happold
Renderings: Zaha Hadid Architects and Norviska