A historic but fragile chimney, built in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, in 1900, is being preserved to be a central point of a multimillion-dollar shopping complex.
The (unnamed) developer of this shopping center, which is called the Twin Towers of Port Baku, originally had planned to demolish the chimney. That’s before Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, intervened and requested that the chimney be restored instead.
It’s not clear what the historical significance of this chimney is other than its age. But now it will stand between two office buildings that, at 14 and 32 stories respectively, will overlook the Caspian Sea when they and shopping center are completed sometime in 2017.
Based on the renderings, the shopping mall portion will curve around the chimney and connect the two office buildings.
Azerbaijan sees this regeneration project as a way to establish Baku as a center for commerce and technology. Cintec International, an engineering firm based in Newport, Wales, which specializes in structural masonry retrofits, is commissioned to restore the chimney.
This chimney project, which started in September, is estimated to take 12 weeks to complete and cost £1 million (US$1.5 million). It requires securing the chimney—which based on photos appeared to be listing—by drilling into it from the top and feeding 24 meters (78 feet) of anchors into the structure.
Because the circular chimney is so delicate, Cintec had to design thinner connecting anchors for this project, and use laser keyhole technology in order to position the anchors internally.
“What we’re doing is surgical engineering, so it’s very precise,” said Peter James, Cintec’s managing director.
Chimney before renovations.
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 31, 2023
Small town takes over big box
GBBN associate Claire Shafer, AIA, breaks down the firm's recreational adaptive reuse project for a small Indiana town.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 115 Architecture Engineering Firms for 2023
Stantec, HDR, Page, HOK, and Arcadis North America top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
2023 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
A record 552 AEC firms submitted data for BD+C's 2023 Giants 400 Report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 175 Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Corgan, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Shopping Centers | Aug 22, 2023
The mall of the future
There are three critical aspects of mall design that, through evolution, have proven to be instrumental in the staying power of a retail destination: parking, planning, and customer experience. This are crucial to the mall of the future.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 17, 2023
How to design for adaptive reuse: Don’t reinvent the wheel
Gresham Smith demonstrates the opportunities of adaptive reuse, specifically reusing empty big-box retail and malls, many of which sit unused or underutilized across the country.
Sponsored | | Aug 15, 2023
The Data Benefits of Retail Keyless Entry
SALTO’s wireless access control system provides valuable data analytics for retail establishments
Office Buildings | Aug 10, 2023
Bjarke Ingels Group and Skanska to deliver 1550 on the Green, one of the most sustainable buildings in Texas
In downtown Houston, Skanska USA’s 1550 on the Green, a 28-story, 375,000-sf office tower, aims to be one of Texas’ most sustainable buildings. The $225 million project has deployed various sustainable building materials, such as less carbon-intensive cement, to target 60% reduced embodied carbon.
Market Data | Jul 24, 2023
Leading economists call for 2% increase in building construction spending in 2024
Following a 19.7% surge in spending for commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings in 2023, leading construction industry economists expect spending growth to come back to earth in 2024, according to the July 2023 AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel.
Standards | Jun 26, 2023
New Wi-Fi standard boosts indoor navigation, tracking accuracy in buildings
The recently released Wi-Fi standard, IEEE 802.11az enables more refined and accurate indoor location capabilities. As technology manufacturers incorporate the new standard in various devices, it will enable buildings, including malls, arenas, and stadiums, to provide new wayfinding and tracking features.