The Baku Gymnastics Arena is a new world-class gymnastics venue in the centre of Baku, Azerbaijan. It was a key venue in the 2015 European Games. Drawing on Azerbaijan’s strong gymnastics heritage the design takes inspiration from the ribbon of the rhythmic gymnast. It features three ribbon-like louvres, which wrap around the building, controlling daylight and solar gain and giving the building its iconic form. At night these ribbons are illuminated in the national colours, with the lighting scheme also enabling the projection of lighting displays and dynamic imagery.
The arena is one of only a handful of bespoke gymnastics venues in the world and is designed to host all gymnastic disciplines as well as having the flexibility to host other sports and events. Retractable and movable seating tiers vary the capacity, with a maximum capacity of 9,000 possible. The scheme also features a training hall for the national Azerbaijan gymnastics team, which can be integrated into the main Arena space, as well as accommodation facilities, physiotherapy and medical suites.
The National Gymnastics Arena is a superb project that totally meets the expectations of the gymnastics community in Azerbaijan. We are pleased to extend our warmest congratulations to the project team and to all those who have contributed to this wonderful project.
Philippe Silacci, Spokesperson for the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG)
