President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has examined ongoing construction, infrastructure and landscaping works in the Central Park Quarter of Baku White City, as well as the conditions created in the completed Baku White City Office building.
Executive Director of the Baku White City project Ruslan Sadikhov informed the head of state about the work accomplished.
The current territory of the White City was known as the Black City for more than 150 years. At the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, the transformation of the area of the Black City into the White City, currently recognized as the world's most modern environmental project, was launched.
The foundation of the Baku White City project, selected for its uniqueness, was laid by President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva on December 24, 2011.
Implemented as part of the “Comprehensive Action Plan on Improving the Environmental Situation in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2006-2010”, approved by the order of the head of state, the Baku White City project has already been recognized internationally as a large-scale ecological urban development project. This residential area, jointly designed by leading international companies and local experts, has been recognized with various international and local awards as the world’s pioneering and modern ecological urban planning project in numerous international exhibitions.
The development of Baku White City, covering a total area of 1650 hectares, includes the creation of 10 districts with diverse styles, construction of 120,000 residential units and service facilities, implementation of 350 hectares of landscaping works, and the creation of a 10-kilometer boulevard. So far, the construction of 91 buildings has been completed. After the full completion of the project, Baku White City is expected to be home to 280,000 residents and create 240,000 jobs.
The Central Park District consists of 36, 20, and 8-story buildings, two-story non-residential buildings along 6th Park Street, commercial and catering facilities, a secondary school, office and administrative buildings, apart from the Parisian-style apartments inaugurated in 2017. During the planning phase, green areas such as parks and alleys were envisioned in the residential area of the Central Park District of the White City. Among them is the Daghdaghan garden.
The Daghdaghan tree, native to Karabakh, is one of the symbols of Azerbaijan. In May 2021, President Ilham Aliyev planted a daghdaghan tree in the city of Aghdam as part of his visit to Azerbaijan’s liberated territories. Daghdaghan trees were brought to the White City from Karabakh. The head of state planted a daghdaghan tree in the garden area.
Local and international artists' artworks have been installed on Boulevard Street, which is one of the central streets of White City and largely completed in terms of construction.
“The Big Apple” by sculptor Enrique Cabrera is one of his most important art projects. Installed in New York, “The Big Apple" represents the symbol of the city and has become very popular among its residents and visitors. The second installation of this artwork is exhibited in Baku White City.
The 4.2-meter-high “Dragon” statue, created in a modern style by the Azerbaijan MAAS Art Institution, is dedicated to the symbol of the year 2024. According to the Oriental Calendar, the symbol of the year 2024 is the dragon.
Joseph Klibansky`s sculpture “The Thinker” reflects the period of technological development of modern man, his concerns about environmental and global warming problems. It's made from bronze and painted bronze. In 2014, inspired by the richness of Baku’s architecture and the synthesis of antiquity and modernity, the author also created the artwork “Beautiful Baku”, which glorifies the beauty of the capital of Azerbaijan.
President Ilham Aliyev also toured the completed Baku White City Office building. The construction of the building, dedicated to Azerbaijan's Victory in the Patriotic War and the restoration of its sovereignty, began in 2020.
The building houses 150 offices, providing all the necessary conditions for business representatives to operate at a high level. A Data Center has been created in the building for sustainable use of information technologies.
The statue of the Karabakh horse, placed on the territory, is one of the 7 horses in the “Karabakh Horses” monument complex that will be located in the Karabakh Horses Square. The complex, whose foundation was laid by the head of state in December 2022, is dedicated to the Victory in the Patriotic War of Azerbaijan, which resulted in the liberation of Karabakh from a 30-year occupation. The creation of the complex is carried out by American sculptor Robert Summers, who is renowned worldwide for his original artworks.
