Located on Baku’s pristine Caspian Sea waterfront, the Crescent Development is a prestigious 450,000 sqm mixed-use development comprising a residential tower, a commercial tower with retail facilities and a seven‑star ‘crescent’ hotel located off-shore on a man-made island in the Caspian Sea.
A civic heart for events and everyday life
This world-class mixed-use development delivers a dynamic blend of commercial, retail, and residential spaces, all unified by a richly activated public realm designed by Gillespies. The public realm will host a wide spectrum of outdoor entertainment, cultural activity, and national events.
The ‘landside’ Crescent Development is anchored by a 400-metre shopping mall, fronted by a series of landscaped terraces. These terraces offer elevated views across the lagoon and hotel island and are carefully crafted to encourage movement, interaction, and dwell time — enhancing the retail and leisure experience.
At the heart of the development, we have created a generously scaled public plaza that links the lagoon with the hotel island and the animated retail frontage. Drawing on local culture and context, the plaza features distinctive paving, planting and sculptural elements inspired by Azerbaijani heritage, establishing a flexible urban stage for national celebrations, evening performances and community events.
Enhancing the guest experience The seven-star Crescent hotel offers breathtaking views of Baku and is complemented by refined landscape designs both inside and out. Set within an artificial lagoon, the hotel is surrounded by landscape islands and activated islands that offer a range of immersive outdoor experiences. At night, the lagoon is transformed with an iconic dancing fountain display — creating a dramatic focal point and extending the vibrancy of the public realm into the evening.
Project details
Title
The Crescent Development
Client
DSA / Gilan Holdings/URBN
Status
Under Construction
Gillespies team
Michael De Wet, Sissy Xiang, Leo Song, Ben Blizzard
