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Replacing the previous Absheron Hotel as Baku's new landmark hotel, the JW Marriott, which is now nearing completion, is part of a high–rise mixed–use development designed by ReardonSmith. In total, the building comprises 16 floors of private residences, serviced apartments, a rooftop spa, retail and offices as well as the 20–storey hotel.

Its dramatic futuristic form emerged as a response to the symbolism of the square below – the location of state events and national celebrations – and the planning requirement that the elevation facing the square should have an imposing symmetry. This was achieved by segregating the residences and serviced apartments in two balanced oval wings which frame the central hotel component, crowned by a roof that curves in its own plane. The result is a building that appears to be fluid, lightening the impact of its mass. The façade is almost entirely glass and the complexity of its design was considerable. For a start, the threat of earthquakes necessitated a rigorous engineering solution. Then the fast track building programme required an installation process to match. By fitting the glass units from the inside to the exterior of the frame, the building was glazed at a rate of one floor per week. Thermal and insulation qualities were crucial; the glass was coated for energy efficiency and perforated tresses introduced at podium level to stabilise the façade against Baku's high winds. And there was the appearance: vertical and horizontal shadow box detailing means that the curtain wall looks to be one massive piece of glass. The hotel will include a 1,500m² column–free ballroom positioned to command views towards the buildings of state, Zest Café – a new concept for Marriott encompassing a range of eating, drinking and retail options – and 243 guestrooms. Overlooking the square, a stepped and landscaped podium rises to the first floor VIP entrance accommodating a series of pools through which water will tumble into a large illuminated fountain below.