Heydar Aliyev Center named London Design Museum’s Design of the Year

Zaha Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev Center has beaten out seven shortlisted designs to win London Design Museum’s Designs of the Year Awards. The shortlisted proposals - from a portable eye examination kit to Volkswagen’s XL1 CAR – will remain on view at the museum through August 25.

Not only is Ms. Hadid the first woman recipient in the Awards’ seven year history, but the center is the first architecture project to be lauded: ”It’s beautiful, it’s inspiring, it’s the clear vision of a singular genius and we thought it was a remarkable piece of work,” jury member Ekow Eshun noted.

Other nominated architecture projects included: NLE Architects’ Makoko Floating School, The Turbulences FRAC Centre by Jakob + Macfarlane Architects, and the interior remodeling of the St. Moritz Church by John Pawson.