The Heydar Aliyev Center is one of the most famous buildings designed by celebrated Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. It’s located in Baku, Azerbaijan, and is one of the newer designs on this list, having been completed in 2012. The design is noted for its distinctive, flowing lines and lack of sharp angles. 

Zaha Hadid Architects was awarded the commission following a competition in 2007. On the practice’s website, it explains the motivation behind the design: “The Center breaks from the rigid and often monumental Soviet architecture that is so prevalent in Baku, aspiring instead to express the optimism of a nation that looks to the future.”