ZHA has been selected to design the Baku Expo City masterplan. Guided by its tree preservation strategy for the 198-hectare site adjacent to the existing Baku Expo Centre, the masterplan addresses the city’s growth in population over the past decade by providing a wide variety of residences within its community.
Incorporating one-bedroom apartments to large family homes within a walkable urban district, the masterplan integrates the essential civic institutions that serve as the foundation of every vibrant community—including kindergartens, schools, local shops and markets, entertainment and cultural venues, as well as public parks, sports clubs and medical clinics.
The masterplan is arranged as a series of interconnected neighbourhoods within preserved pine forests, integrating tree-lined boulevards and landscaped nature corridors to create a sustainable and resilient community linked together by pedestrian pathways and cycle routes.
At the heart of the new community lies a public square featuring cultural venues, cafés, restaurants and leisure facilities. This central hub serves both residents and delegates attending events at the new Baku Expo Center extension and Congress Hall which are incorporated within the masterplan. Designed to support this expansion of the exhibition and conference centre, a new hotel will cater to event delegates as well as passengers using the nearby international airport.
Aligned with Baku’s 2030 transport strategy, the masterplan will have direct connections to the city centre, airport and throughout the metropolitan region with Baku’s expanding public transport network that includes the upgrade of the Bakikhanov–Bina–Gala rail line.
Known as the ‘City of Winds’ for the prevailing Khazri wind blowing inland from the Caspian Sea throughout winter, Baku also experiences the humid Gilavar wind that brings warm air from the Iranian plateau during the summer months. The Baku Expo City masterplan addresses these specific climactic conditions.
Defined by detailed pedestrian wind comfort analysis, the masterplan arranges buildings within each neighbourhood to serve as protective barriers that deflect the prevailing winds to reduce its speed at ground-level and create sheltered public spaces for outdoor leisure and recreation. This environmental strategy also ensures the year-round usability of the community plazas, pedestrian walkways and cycle routes throughout the masterplan.
Complementing this strategy, the design preserves 92% of the site’s 18,000 existing trees, which aid natural cooling, wind buffering and microclimate regulation, while also incorporating comprehensive forestry management to ensure the district’s natural canopy continues to mature over time. A further programme of replanting will support and enhance the sheltering properties provided by the site’s existing and new vegetation.
All new buildings within the masterplan will incorporate a green roof system to enhance thermal insulation and reduce cooling energy demand. This system is integral to the district’s stormwater management that collects and naturally filters rainwater for reuse as well as mitigating the urban heat island effect.
The masterplan prioritizes a sustainable, people-centred environment by integrating renewable solar and wind energy, passive design strategies, effective water management and low-carbon material choices. These measures create highly efficient residential and civic infrastructure together with comfortable outdoor spaces within a vibrant, resilient community that supports the long-term ecological health of the city.