Legacy of the legendary Zaha Hadid in New York: a futuristic house without a single angle

This boutique condominium is today an iconic landmark in New York. Surprisingly, there is not a single angle in it. The futuristic building is one of the last designed by the legendary architect Zaha Hadid before her death. Writes about this architime.ru.

Today, in almost all megacities of the world, there are buildings built according to the designs of the bureau of the legendary Zaha Hadid. However, in New York, such a structure appeared only in March 2018.

The 11-story apartment complex called Zaha Hadid Building is located in Chelsea at 520 West 28th Street. This is the only residential building of the famous female architect in New York, as well as one of her last projects before her death.

The building is located next to the High Line Park. Its architectural appearance is based on the smooth lines of the park and the curves of the railway tracks. There is not a single corner in this building - the shape of the smooth rounded walls and panoramic windows resembles a drop of water. Such an original geometry creates the feeling of unlimited space, inside which one room flows smoothly into another.

The facade of the building consists of glass and metal. Its metal parts touch each other, protruding beyond the floor slabs, forming balconies and terraces with rounded edges.

The metal for the decoration of the facade was not chosen by chance - but as a tribute to the history of the area. This area of ​​Manhattan is home to a large number of cast-iron-paneled houses. To make the surface of the cladding matt, and the shade of the metal profiles - dark, they were processed by hand.

It is worth noting that in the documentation of the project Hadid is listed only as a designer. This is because she was a licensed architect in the UK, but did not have a license for architectural practice in New York.

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Hadid created this building in close collaboration with Ismael Leyva Architects. The latter is based in New York and declared by the architect of this project.

The boutique condominium offers 39 exclusive two or five bedroom residences. All apartments have built-in kitchen sets from Boffi. Today this brand is a symbol of high quality and innovative approach to the production of furniture and equipment for kitchens and bathrooms.

Also in the residential building were created public areas, including a beauty salon with SPA and pool, IMAX cinema and a sculpture garden.

About the architect

Zaha Hadid is an Iraqi-British architect and designer of Arab descent, a representative of deconstructivism. In 2004, she became the first woman ever awarded the Pritzker Prize.

The Guardian called Zahu Hadid “the queen of the curve,” which “liberated architectural geometry, giving it a whole new expressive identity.” Her main works include the Aquatics Center for the London Olympics, the Great University of Michigan Museum of Art in the USA, and the Guangzhou Opera House in China.

Some of her projects were presented posthumously, including the BRIT Awards 2017 statuette. Many buildings are still under construction, including Al-Wakra Stadium in Qatar, the venue for the World Cup in 2022.

She worked in cities such as London, Berlin, Innsbruck, Copenhagen, Cincinnati, New York, Moscow, Zaragoza, Rome, Baku, Milan.

In 1992, Hadid participated in the design of the Great Utopia exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

As ForumDaily New York wrote earlier:

• In New York there 20 beautiful buildingsto pass by which is simply impossible.
• New York is experiencing a construction boom. Every year, new skyscrapers grow here, and the skyline changes beyond recognition. Earlier we wrote about New York's 8 Newest Buildingsworth seeing with your own eyes.
• There is also a Big Apple very unusual building, which locals call the "Iron House". This house has long been a symbol of New York. And once it was one of the tallest buildings in Manhattan!