Switch Competitions invites all architecture students, and young professionals to develop and submit compelling ideas for the design of a cultural center for all, located in the soul of the Silk Road cities - Baku. The narrative of this competition design stems from revisiting the solid traditional roots and foundation as well as sculpting the community for the years to come. Designing a center that houses a network for all; a space that welcomes all and celebrates the notion of co-existence.
As one of the most important trade exchange channels, the Silk Road was also a “cultural bridge” between Asia and Europe. The system has existed for over 2,000 years. The Silk Road represented a form of the global economy and spanned the Asian continent with widespread transmission of knowledge and ideas which had a profound impact on the culture. A network of mostly land but also sea trading routes, the Silk Road stretched from China to Korea and Japan in the east, Turkey and Italy in the west and linked China through Central Asia to India in the south. Trading activities along the Silk Road over many centuries facilitated the transmission of not just of goods but also ideas and culture, promoting a socio-cultural economy.
