Built on land reclaimed from the Caspian Sea, the new redevelopment concept by Chapman Taylor for the former Baku Entertainment Centre has opened to the public

Designed by Chapman Taylor, Deniz Mall is a landmark 120,000 sq m retail, entertainment, leisure and dining destination which is set to become Azerbaijan's premier entertainment venue.

With social distancing measures in place and a requirement for visitors to wear face masks in line with government health regulations, shops and public areas will be open to the public; Cafés and restaurants will remain closed until it is considered safe to open them, as will the entertainment venues and cinema theatres.

Located on land reclaimed from the Caspian Sea, Deniz Mall has more than five floors, housing the largest shopping centre in the Caucasus region. Located on land reclaimed from the Caspian Sea, the building houses a family orientated day out experience, including world class entertainment venues, serving a much needed role for the city and the surrounding region. A ‘flame’ tower is the centrepiece of eight star-shaped wings inspired by Azerbaijan’s national emblem.

Chapman Taylor designed the original building as a congress centre in 2007, and now the building has been repurposed, keeping the same design, to become Azerbaijan's premier entertainment venue. The redesign for the interior was planned to harmonise with the exterior design, ensuring a single homogenous concept for the centre.

There are 25 cafés and restaurants, including outdoor restaurant terraces and a sky bar, in which people can relax and look out at unrivalled views over the Caspian.

The development's complex geometry was modelled by Chapman Taylor in BIM software, as well as deliverables including drawings, schedules and visualisations. Chapman Taylor’s London studio was appointed to provide interior design services for the building’s redevelopment in 2016.

Georgina Johnston - World Architecture News