A new scientific center is set to be built in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent: the Alisher Navoi International Scientific Research Centre. Developed by the team at Zaha Hadid Architects, the center is named after the poet Alisher Navoi — but what exactly does traditional Shashmaqom music have to do with the architecture of this new institution?
For many Europeans, Uzbekistan remains a little-known country. Yet, this Central Asian nation with a population of over 37 million played a crucial historical role thanks to the Silk Road. Cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva were major cultural and economic hubs and today form part of UNESCO’s World Heritage. The influences of this rich history are still visible across the country’s architecture, which features a vibrant mix of Islamic, Persian, Turkish, and Mongolian elements.
Taschkent too, was once an important trading center along the Silk Road. However, modern-day Tashkent’s architecture is heavily shaped by the Soviet era. In recent years, efforts have been made to once again transform Tashkent into a culturally diverse and architecturally vibrant destination.
One of the key projects being realized in the newly developing district of New Tashkent is the Alisher Navoi International Scientific Research Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). This multidisciplinary center for Uzbek culture and education is named after Alisher Navoi (Mir ʿAli Schir Nawāʾi, 1441 bis 1501). a revered poet considered the father of classical Uzbek literature. Navoi primarily wrote in the Chagatai language, a forerunner of modern Uzbek.
Hollow Arches and Natural Ventilation
The Alisher Navoi International Scientific Research Centre will span 23,000 square meters and house the Navoi State Museum of Literature, a 400-seat auditorium, a research center, and a boarding school specializing in Uzbek language, literature, and music.
To minimize energy consumption, the building is designed as a passive house with high thermal mass to maintain stable indoor temperatures.
Additionally, a natural ventilation system is being integrated: hollow arches throughout the building will channel cool air indoors. When there is no wind, they function like chimneys, using pressure differentials to draw warm air upward and out through openings at the top of the arches.
Fans and misting systems will assist in cooling incoming air, while the courtyards are designed to optimize air circulation and maximize natural light within the interiors. Sustainability is also a key focus regarding building materials: a local factory in Tashkent will produce the bricks, reducing the project’s CO₂ footprint.
A Musical Garden
The center’s garden design is inspired by traditional Shashmaqom music, a genre deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Often performed at traditional festivities and ceremonies, Shashmaqom blends vocal and instrumental elements, drawing heavily on the spiritual themes of Sufism. It comprises six main sections, or Maqoms — the term “Shashmaqom” literally means “six Maqoms.”
Reflecting this musical heritage, the outdoor areas of the Alisher Navoi International Scientific Research Centre feature open-air amphitheaters, shaded pavilions, and terraced gardens intended for both private and public activities. These spaces are designed to allow for spontaneous and organized artistic performances, physically embodying the lively and interactive essence of Shashmaqom music.
The Alisher Navoi International Scientific Research Centre is just the beginning for New Tashkent. In the coming decades, this 25,000-hectare development area in the east of the capital will be transformed into a new urban district, with plans for new housing, universities, and government buildings.
Text: Resi Reiner
Bilder: ZHA
