Dame Zaha Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku, commissioned by the dictator’s son

The Design Museum came under fire today after awarding the UK’s most prestigious design award to a building in Azerbaijan bearing the name of a repressive former leader.

The Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, designed by acclaimed architect Dame Zaha Hadid, was awarded the Design Museum Design of the Year for 2014 this evening, with one judge calling it as “pure and sexy as Marilyn’s blown skirt”.

Yet human rights groups have criticised Azerbaijan’s current and former regimes and suggested that it was unhelpful to promote a building bearing Aliyev’s name.

Amnesty International had accused him of human rights abuses, ballot irregularities and intimidating the opposition while in power. The former Soviet secret police general ruled for 30 years, first as its communist leader and then as president.

The building was commissioned by the former leader’s son Ilham, who took over as president following Aliyev’s death in 2003 and remains in power.

Human rights groups said Dame Zaha had a duty to raise issues when working for repressive regimes (Getty)

Rory Olcayto, acting editor of Architects’ Journal, said the building “may be a stunning example of contemporary architecture but it does seem odd for the Design Museum to celebrate a building that honours a former KGB dictator".

He added: “It’s a subject the Design Museum director Dejan Sudjic knows a lot about: his book the Edifice Complex explores the power relationships between architects and dictators. Perhaps he is trying to provoke a debate.”....Continue Reading

> via independent.co.uk