Historic chimney saved in Baku

Cintec International is ensuring that a historic industrial chimney will be at the heart of The Twin Towers Port of Baku scheme.

A demolition-threatened, historic chimney in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku now will be the center point of a multi-million dollar shopping complex. Cintec International has been commissioned to carry out complex structural preservation work on the chimney later this year.Built in the 1900s the chimney is the focal point of a regeneration project to establish Baku as an up-and-coming center of commerce and technology.Original designs for the development, which will be called The Twin Towers of Port Baku, planned to have the chimney pulled down to make way for the modern shopping complex. However, when the president of Azerbaijan saw the plans, he requested that the historical chimney be restored instead and become a central feature of the development.

The result is a design that is representative of the futuristic vision for Azerbaijan, while retaining important elements of its industrial history.

Cintec will be using its patented anchor to secure the chimney by drilling into the structure from the top and feeding 24 meters of anchors in to the walls of the chimney to secure it for generations to come. The chimney is one of the most delicate structures that Cintec has ever worked with. It has required the company to design thinner connecting anchors, especially for the project.

The circular structure of the building also means that Cintec will have to use laser keyhole technology to achieve the precision necessary to successfully position the anchors. The work is expected to take 12 weeks to complete.

“This is another exciting contract for us at Cintec, and we’re delighted to be involved in helping to maintain this historic chimney as part of Baku’s redevelopment,” says Peter James, managing director. “We’re passionate about maintaining and restoring historical buildings for future generations, so we were very pleased to hear that the chimney was going to be saved and honored to be asked to carry out the work.”

The chimney is just one of Cintec’s ongoing structural preservation projects. The company has worked in Egypt restoring its historical buildings for 18 years and has undertaken restoration work on mosques, temples and both the Red and Step Pyramids. Cintec anchors also have been used to restore other historically significant buildings across the globe, including Windsor Castle, the parliament building in Canada and even the White House.
About: Featured
The Evolution and Innovation of Concrete Unit Pavers
May 2025

When concrete unit pavers were first produced in Europe after the second World War, they were used as a replacement for clay brick pavers due to a lack of raw materials needed to produce that product. The primary emphasis was function with little to no co

The Evolution and Innovation of Concrete Unit Pavers
May 2025

When concrete unit pavers were first produced in Europe after the second World War, they were used as a replacement for clay brick pavers due to a lack of raw materials needed to produce that product. The primary emphasis was function with little to no co

Masonry Mortar: The Right Type for the Job
May 2025

When it comes to masonry construction, mortar is much more than “glue” that holds everything together — it’s a critical component of wall performance, longevity, and aesthetics. It can “make it or break it”. Whether you’re laying a foundation CMU wall or

MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Episode 20 Recap: Mark Kemp, Superior Masonry
May 2025

On this episode of the MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Mark Kemp joins the set to talk about his esteemed career in masonry, how his passion stayed strong throughout the years, and how retirement has been treating him.