The New Superstars

A panel of design experts reveal which 21st-century creations will stand the test of time.

Heydar Aliyev Center

In the wake of the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991, Azerbaijan became a new country, but with all the stark, brutalist architecture of the old regime. In an effort to give the nation a contemporary makeover, governing bodies appointed architect Zaha Hadid to design a cultural center in the heart of Baku, the capital. Completed in 2012, the curvaceous building pays homage to the fluid forms found in traditional Azeri architecture, with equally twisty interiors housing exhibitions that celebrate the nation’s history and its future.

The Oculus

The structure, which resembles a gleaming white rib cage, houses the World Trade Center’s transportation hub and the Westfield shopping center in New York. Designed by Spanish-born architect Santiago Calatrava and completed in 2016, it cost a staggering US$3.9 billion to build. Its sculptural columns are meticulously aligned to let light into space, and every year on 11 September, weather permitting, the Oculus’ skylight opens at 10.28 am – the exact moment when the North Tower collapsed in 2001.

Drone

Originally developed for military purposes in the 19th century – its earliest incarnation was a series of pilotless hot-air balloons that the Austrians used to bomb Venice – the modern drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle, has since become a mainstay of contemporary warfare and has been cleared for commercial use, with the first licence granted in 2006. Now it has applications for everything from filmmaking and photography to home security and package delivery.

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