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The Baku Flame Towers project in Azerbaijan, has received the MIPIM 2013 award for the best hotel and tourist center, which is designed by the global architectural practice HOK.

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One of the tallest buildings in the Azerbaijani capital, the Baku Flame Towers consists of three structures, each rise 620 feet (190 metre) over Baku. Opened in 2012, the towers exhibit a shape, which is inspired by the city’s history of Zoroastrian fire worshipping and its ongoing connection with natural gas.

The Flame Towers development has three separate uses embodied by the triplet of buildings. The main residential block is situated in the southern part, which encompasses 130 luxury apartments on 39 floors. The apartments in the tallest of the three towers look out over the Caspian Sea with scenic views reaching far across Baku.

To the north is the hotel tower with 250 rooms and 61 serviced apartments on 33 floors, paired with the 33,114 square metre office tower to the west. Sharing the same views as the residential volume, both buildings feature gracefully curved silhouettes inspired by Baku's history of fire worshipping.

Justifying its name, the Flame Towers are completely covered with the LED screens that display the movement of a fire visible from the farthest points of the city. This illumination creates the effect of giant torches emphasizing the main idea of the Flame Towers. At night their LED exteriors light up to depict flames, a waving Azerbaijani flag and other moving images.

The MIPIM 2013 is the largest investment exhibition of innovative projects in the European real estate market.