Baku hosts competition for rising architectural talent PHOTO

An exhibition of projects submitted for a competition among young architects took place in Baku with the support of the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan. 

The exhibition was hosted at the Zaman ART Gallery, located in the historic Icherisheher district, as Caliber.Az reports.

The competition brought together young architects and students under the age of 29, who submitted individual designs, coursework, and graduation projects.

According to the organizers, which included the Young Architects and Students Club, the event aims to identify new talent, encourage unconventional approaches, foster contemporary architectural thinking, and present promising ideas to both the public and potential clients. 

It was officially launched by the Chairman of the Union, Elbay Gasimzade, who welcomed guests and spoke about the organization's emphasis on the development of young creatives and their initiatives.

Among those attending were Deputy Culture Minister Murad Huseynov, Chairman of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve Rufat Mahmud, as well as the Dean of the Architecture faculty at the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction, Zahida Mammadova. 

The head of the Young Architects and Students Club, Elin Beylarov, also spoke at the event, noting how it has grown into a well-established tradition since it was first held in 2014, ever since when it has been held annually.

This year saw 32 applications submitted, of which 24 projects were selected for participation. The shortlisted works reflected a wide range of architectural approaches, concepts, and ideas. Beylarov thanked the participants and expressed gratitude to the Union’s leadership for their continued support.

The jury comprised of Aytaj Alisultanli, a member of both the Union of Architects and the Icherisheher Reserve, the Project Director of "Fontanagrande" and Union member Fazil Gumbatli, as well as Malk Guliyev, an expert from Azerbaijan's State Design Institute who won a national architecture competition in previous years. 

The jury also recommended that the top three projects be submitted to the 34th International Architecture Festival “Zodchestvo-2026” in Moscow. 

By Nazrin Sadigova