ZHA selected to design 198-hectare Baku Expo City masterplan within existing pine forest

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has been selected to design the Baku Expo City masterplan, a 198-hectare mixed-use urban district beside the existing Baku Expo Centre in Azerbaijan^[1]. The commission, unveiled in August 2026, makes ZHA responsible for a scheme that will introduce a full residential and civic quarter into an established pine forest on the edge of the Azerbaijani capital, while retaining the vast majority of the existing tree canopy.

Forest-first planning logic

The masterplan commits to preserving 92% of the site's 18,000 existing trees^[1], treating the pine forest as the primary organising structure rather than a blank development site. Landscaped nature corridors and tree-lined streets thread between interconnected neighbourhoods, with pedestrian and cycle routes forming the main movement network^[1].

The retained canopy serves a dual purpose. Mature pines provide shade and natural cooling, and they buffer the two seasonal winds that define Baku's climate^[1]:

• The Khazri - a cold wind that blows inland from the Caspian Sea through winter
• The Gilavar - a warm, humid wind arriving from the Iranian plateau in summer

ZHA supplemented the forest's passive wind-breaking effect with detailed pedestrian wind comfort analysis, positioning buildings within each neighbourhood to act as additional shields and reduce wind speed at ground level. A long-term forestry management and replanting programme is included to strengthen the canopy as the district develops.

Programme and building mix

The district will include residential units ranging from one-bedroom apartments to large family homes, alongside schools, shops, medical facilities, sports clubs, and a central public square^[1]. At the heart of the masterplan sits an extension to the Baku Expo Centre itself, together with a new Congress Hall, a hotel near Heydar Aliyev International Airport, and leisure and hospitality venues grouped around the public square.

All new buildings are designed with green roofs to enhance thermal insulation, reduce cooling energy demand, and manage stormwater runoff^[1]. ZHA has also integrated renewable solar and wind energy, passive design strategies, and low-carbon material choices across the scheme.

Transport connection

The masterplan is aligned with Baku's 2030 transport strategy. A planned upgrade of the Bakikhanov-Bina-Gala rail line will give the district direct connections to the city centre, Heydar Aliyev International Airport, and the wider metropolitan region^[1]. Pedestrian and cycle infrastructure within the site is designed to feed into that broader public transport network.

The project is ZHA's second major commission in Baku. The firm completed the Heydar Aliyev Center cultural venue in the city in 2013, a building that established the practice's presence in Azerbaijan.

No construction start date or contract value has been disclosed. The next milestone to watch is whether the Azerbaijani government advances the scheme to a detailed design and procurement phase - and whether the Bakikhanov-Bina-Gala rail upgrade, on which the district's connectivity depends, secures a confirmed programme alongside it.