Baku Crystal Hall (Bakı Kristal Zalı)

Baku Crystal Hall is a sports and concert complex built in 2012 specially for the Eurovision Song Contest, which was held in Baku after the victory of Azerbaijani duo Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal in Germany. At that time, this unusual-shaped structure caused a sensation among the guests of the song contest, and now it continues to amaze all the guests of the city.

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Video: Baku Crystal Hall

Contents

Highlights

Baku Crystal Hall or Crystal Hall is located on a small peninsula near Azerbaijan’s State Flag Square, in a picturesque location off Seaside Boulevard. The complex is surrounded by greenery, numerous cozy teahouses, cafes and waterfront restaurants.

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Impressive in the daytime with its scale and unusual architecture, the building of the Baku Crystal Hall simply amazes with the incredible beauty of illumination in the evening. The 9,500 LED lights that cover the walls turn the complex architectural geometry into a living canvas of twinkling lights after dark.

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The crystal-like shape of the structure and the luminous facade were designed to meet Azerbaijan’s special requirement: by Eurovision 2012, Baku was to have a spectacular and internationally recognizable landmark; a building that would symbolize a bridge between Asia and Europe.

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Baku Crystal Hall realizes an original architectural idea. The arena and the front part are equipped with ultramodern movable lighting equipment that allows to create any pictures, illusions and effects. The unique technological solution allows to transmit more than 45 thousand color shades.

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Construction of the Baku Crystal Hall

The complex was erected by GMP Architekten together with designers from Alpine Bau Deutschland in a record 8 months. It was not easy to build the project in this location – it had to be located on a small peninsula in the Caspian Sea, where the wind speed reaches 45 meters per second. But the result exceeded all expectations. With a length of 230 meters and a width of 160 meters, the arena can accommodate up to 25,000 spectators under its roof, protected from the sun and weather by a transparent membrane roof.

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At first, the concert hall was conceived as a temporary building for various events, but later the concept was changed, and now the Baku Crystal Hall will delight locals and tourists for another 30-40 years. In total, more than 100 million dollars were spent on the erection of this masterpiece.

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The external decoration of the crystals of the Baku Crystal Hall is complemented by spotlights that change direction and create incredibly powerful light columns that can be seen from almost anywhere in the Azerbaijani capital. Swiss firm Nüssli International AG, which developed the special effects, noted that no other city in the world can boast of this kind of lighting.

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During construction, about 7 thousand tons of steel was used, which acted as the main material of the structure. A special type of metal decking was used, which makes the acoustics of the Baku Crystal Hall one of the best in the world.

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In 2015, an administrative building made of panoramic glass was built near the arena especially for the First European Games. This multifunctional structure, 43 meters long and 42 meters wide, was used during the Games as a training and locker room area for athletes, as well as an office building. A green oasis in the midst of stone, metal and glass became a transition corridor that accommodated a variety of plants and comfortable upholstered furniture. Now, in addition to the office rooms, there is also a conference room where numerous meetings and presentations are held.

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Евровидение-2012

The first action that was held in Baku Crystal Hall was the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, for which it was, in fact, built.

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Contestants from 42 countries competed for the title of the best performer of the continent, and the light design of the Baku Crystal Hall made this competition an unforgettable large-scale show. When each contestant took the stage, the outer crystals of the arena were painted in the colors of the performer’s native flag. Between performances, videos were shown on the walls to tell guests about Azerbaijan’s cultural, natural, and architectural features.

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Performances of world stars in Baku Crystal Hall

After the successful opening of the arena with the Eurovision Song Contest, such world stars as Rihanna, Shakira, Eros Ramazzotti, Jennifer Lopez, and two-time Grammy nominee Melanie Fiona have been here with exclusive programs. For Shakira, the concert in Baku was the only one she held during her pregnancy, other performances the singer canceled.

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Sporting events

Baku Crystal Hall is a multifunctional complex. It is not only used for concerts, the hall has also hosted many sporting events of global significance. It has hosted the Chess Olympiad, basketball competitions, and in 2015 hosted the First European Games, which consisted of matches in volleyball, fencing, karate, boxing and taekwondo.

How to get there.

The most convenient way to get to the Baku Crystal Hall is by bus. Since the hall is located on the State Flag Square (Dövlət Bayrağı Meydanı), this will be the stop you need. The exception will be the route from Baku Airport, from here there is a bus № 116 to the garden named after Samed Vurgun (Sәmәd Vurğun Bağı). From this stop to the State Flag Square there are flights No. 120 and No. 88.

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From Azneft Square (Azneft Meydanı) to the State Flag Square can be reached by bus numbers 120, 88, 207, 124, 37 and 124. Route 207 runs from Neftçilər metrostansiyası (Neftçilər metro station), and from Sahil metro station (Sahil metrostansiyası) there are numbers 120, 88, 207 and 124.

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The 37 and 93 routes will take you to Baku Crystal Hall from İçәrişәhәr metrostansiyası metro station, and the 5 and 193 routes from Elmlər Akademiyası metro station.From the old city it will take about 40 minutes to walk along the promenade and only 17 minutes by bus No. 5. Routes towards the square leave from the Kukla Teatrı stop and stop closest at Sabail Square (Sәbail Meydanı).

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The cost of civil transport, buses and metro in Baku is 0.20 AZN.

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