London practice Zaha Hadid Architects have designed two buildings for the city of Reggio Calabria in Italy.
One building will house a museum of Mediterranean history, including exhibition spaces, restoration facilities, an archive, an aquarium and a library.
The second will house the museum’s administrative offices, a gym, craft workshops, shops and a cinema, as well as three separate auditoriums that can be joined together.
Here’s some more information from Zaha Hadid Architects:
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REGIUM WATERFRONT [Reggio Calabria, Italy]
The project aims to define the city of Reggio Calabria as a Mediterranean cultural capital through the realization of two characteristic buildings: a museum and a multifunctional building for performing arts.
The location of the site on the narrow sea strait separating continental Italy from Sicily offers an opportunity to create two unique buildings, visible from the sea and the Sicilian coast: a Museum of the Mediterranean History and a Multifunctional Building.
The form of the museum draws inspiration from the organic shapes of a starfish. The radial symmetry of this shape helps to coordinate the communication and circulation between different sections of the museum and its other facilities. The Museum of Mediterranean History will house exhibition spaces, restoration facilities, an archive, an aquarium and library.
The Multifunctional Building is a composition of three separate elements that surround a partially covered piazza. The building will house the museum’s administrative offices, a gym, local craft laboratories, shops and a cinema. Three different auditoriums, which can be converted into one large space, are also housed in the Multifunctional Building.
PROGRAM: Mixed-Use: Museum of the Mediterranean and Multifunctional block.
CLIENT: Comune di Reggio Calabria
ARCHITECT: Zaha Hadid Architects
Design Zaha Hadid with Patrik Schumacher
Project Architect Filippo Innocenti
Design team [competition] Michele Salvi, Roberto Vangeli, Andrea Balducci Castè Luciano Letteriello, Fabio Forconi, Giuseppe Morando Johannes Weikert, Deepti Zachariah, Gonzalo Carbajo
CONSULTANTS: Structures Adams-Kara-Taylor: Hanif Kara
M&E Max Fordham: Neil Smith
Fire safety Macchiaroli & Partners
2007-tbc
February 9th, 2009 at 11:34 am
How will this building be constructed? Clay or plastercine?
February 9th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Organically cut, 3d curved glass is also great! Acryllic?
February 9th, 2009 at 11:45 am
basta!!!!!!
February 9th, 2009 at 11:46 am
huh? why would they be using acryllic for the glass? I dont see that many curved glass in the renders, but the ones shown are definately able to be manufactured.
February 9th, 2009 at 11:53 am
I wonder where third year student “Elliot White” (see post before this one) got his inspiration…
February 9th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
looks like a bed pan from the side view…
February 9th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
she’s finally “streching”.
ha
February 9th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
nice fish! Ghery could built a nice canopy beside that.
February 9th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
The zaha hadid maxim: form before form
February 9th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
hahaha! they forgot the flying elephant in the renderings!!!
February 9th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Better much better than the Harbour project…it here doesnt destroy the surroundings but rather integrated…
Great
February 9th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I hope the crisis will now stop the “sex toy” architecture.
SOCIAL NOW !
February 9th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Zaha’s Ark?
February 9th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I’m definitely not a Zaha fan, yet I kinda dig this one. But I believe I’m being mislead but the cool renderings
February 9th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
it does look like a bed pan! i was thinking the same thing
February 9th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
When will this madness stop?
February 9th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
LOL @ basta.
nice form. though very complex when it comes to construction.
February 9th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
useless shape for shape’s sake, as always with recent Zaha
probably jury think that a big name is better than a good architecture
is it going to be another cathedral surrounded by desert?
February 9th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
… and another spaceship crashed on earth …
February 9th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
zaha zaha zaha… this time i have to say that i actually like it……of course the renderings
….it sucks without anyplans or sections
February 9th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
…..when will it ever end. All these small-town mayors and politicians trying to jump on the bandwagon. please.
February 9th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
I’ll third the motion, BASTA!!!
I hope this “trendy” design style disappears sooner rather than later… Useless form! No one should use play-dough as a design medium, EVER
February 9th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
how much?
February 9th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
goddamned beautiful, but how would you build it?
February 9th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
It sure does remind me of two things mentioned in above comments, the bed pan and a certain museum in Bilbao. the big difference between this and those is that bed pans and the Ghery building actually exist! Looks like another one of Zaha’s crazy ideas that won’t leave paper…
February 9th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
as everyone can see in the posts here and in other commends worldwide: this “zeitgeist” architecture is over and done after one decade only.
February 9th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
I would like o see the plans.
February 9th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
dear zaha hadid,
i tire of your overwrought pseudo-futuristic cartoon architecture. while i wish you no harm, i hope that clients realize what unspeakable eyesores your designs will be whenever this grotesque trend is over.
love,
thinoxygen
February 9th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
bed pan – dead on. I hate this amaterial iconic bullshit. Good god zaha – I am going to feed you timbers and CMU’s for breakfast!
February 9th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
ive found zaha’s work from the past 5 yrs or so pretty bad. but this one is nice! is she making a comeback?
what happened to theory ms hadid? you used to be good with that.
February 9th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
The only thing missing is the gondolier
February 9th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Honestly, I like how the thing “lays” in the harbor. From afar. Looks great as a sculpture (although I think this might also change as soon as seams are visible in the built structure. IF it ever gets built.). But seriously, how are these spaces suitable for exhibitions of any kind? And does anyone else feel that the spaces she creates become “blurrier” and less defined with each project?
February 9th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Good image quality and nice spatial perception. I would love to work with the guys that made these renderings but i ask:
Where is architecture??
Architecture is much, much more than this. I think we’re getting poorer seeing all this stuff… And hate that feeling…
February 10th, 2009 at 3:53 am
I feel like peeing!
LOL
February 10th, 2009 at 3:54 am
Could all you “architects” stop being so damn OBVIOUSLY jealous….
Critique is good, BUT IF YOU DON’T HAVE SOMETHING NICE TO SAY DON’T SAY IT AT ALL!
The architecture world is so far behind in accepting new aesthetic. Art, fashion furniture are way ahead.
P.S This project is HOT! Zaha is HOT!
February 10th, 2009 at 4:12 am
…what is going on? It seems like every other day Zaha has won another competition…Not to mention, I would love to know how they plan on building this giant floating bedpan..Oh, I see it takes its cues from its context..Ahh? WTF? Form is everything, so f–k content!!
February 10th, 2009 at 5:31 am
Didn’t Tom Wolfe described the office tower forecourt sculpture so popular in the sixties as a giant architect’s turd? Shallow has called to shallow and here is the receptacle
February 10th, 2009 at 6:19 am
two words:
banana – hammock.
February 10th, 2009 at 8:05 am
multifunctional building…..offcourse….whatelse…
“The building will house the museum’s administrative offices, a gym, local craft laboratories, shops and a cinema. Three different auditoriums, which can be converted into one large space, are also housed in the Multifunctional Building.”
I’d like to see how they fit this into this shape….
February 10th, 2009 at 10:01 am
great!
and what would all you commentators have said with the sidney opera house?
February 10th, 2009 at 11:25 am
very nice, but totally useless. what happened to the function of things? i would like to see more organic forms in stead of a forest of glass shoeboxes.
but it has to make sense. it’s to easy to make an allegory, and it has been done before.
on top of that is comitting architecture without thinking of ecological solutions criminal…
February 10th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Quite an old project i think…i’ve seen those renderings quite a lot, anyway…
I like those renderings, and i must say that i like this project..the REAL problem is that if they will build this, it will NEVER look like this, because there will be always someone that will say “could we do that?” “how can we build that?”, and because here in Italy we don’t have specialized builders .
Actually we can do anything (quite everything..we can’t still make flying cities or such..^^) it’s all about making the right calculations, probabily use custom-made formworks, and yes acryllic glasses…but where is the problem? we have the technologies to build those kind of building but we still don’t want to build them because some of us thinks that in the right angle (90°) we have functional buildings while organic/non right angled buildings are not functional or “form for form’s sake”.
What about the functions…this is a public mixed-use building, a place that should be sexy, amazing, entertaining…and the renderings depict this building as an amazing place where I, personally, would like to go and spend the entire day!
So the problem is money? no!!!!
Look at the tourism in Bilbao! Look at the numbers before and after the Guggenheim museum was built…!
Bilbao used to be a sleeping city, almost without tourism because it was just an industrial city and one of the centres of ETA, and now there are thousands and thousands of tourists…!!
Personally i think that Architecture is the highest form of Art, and for this reason one could use EVERY techinques to reach a certain kind of effect, to introduce new languages and to progress.
I’m not saying that this building is beautifull because it’s organic, i like it because it answer to some of the project’s questions better than other buildings and because the form let you know that this is a public mixed-use building, and not a house, not a hotel…so it’s not form for form’s sake but in some way it’s function -> form…
@ststst: The scale of this is huge…the will fit everything into this building and they will probabily have spaces to add a few more things…but without plans or sections we can’t really undertand how.
Klaus.
(btw: i hope my english is understandable enough)
February 10th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Sorry, but jealousy is not the reason most people are critical of this building or others like it. There is no question that architecture is not only glass boxes, but really, spectacle is just about the ego of the architect. The Sidney Opera house, while setting a precedent for the time is was built, is a building which referenced the ships which passed through Sydney harbor – there is a context -the acoustics however, are brutal. This building for Regium is not even the same thing, unless massive bedpan was her influence. Furthermore, if you had ever experienced a Zaha arch. critique nanu, you would quickly realize how your comment of “Critique is good, BUT IF YOU DON’T HAVE SOMETHING NICE TO SAY DON’T SAY IT AT ALL!” falls on dead ears – Zaha is all about demolishing your soul..
February 10th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Compare with the Port House Antwerp, i personally prefer this reguim waterfront design.
I think this design isn’t totally useless but costly.
The exterior is very attractive and look great in the picture. The interior is very interesting.
February 10th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
These renderings could be from any second/third year student project. The project usually goes along the lines of
1: Create an “organic” shape
2: “Theorise” a construction technique that “might be used” to build your crazy shape.
3: At the last minute cram a programme in and then breifly consider the buildings environmental impact.
February 10th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Yes Nanu I am an architect
but if this is the new hot…?
you don’t have to look so far for inspiration
http://www.centroemergencias.com/Endoscopia/Plieguez1.jpg
looks like two drops of water with the Zaha-interior…i mean…well yeah
February 10th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Fun fact:
80% of Zahas projects published here wont get built.
Signature Towers – shelved
Dubai Opera House – shelved
the list goes on and on.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
very 90’s
February 10th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I would really like for the architects text to explain how parametric design acttually shaped this building; and if it is a multi-funcional buildin(s) then show a circulation/organizational plan or something, otherwise it is just words and 3d, they could easely not correlate at all.
February 11th, 2009 at 12:40 am
seems like an oversized sculpture with no architectural/human elements, materials or anything really.. only places to stand and walk, nothing else. I don’t love architecture where everything is hidden. No joints, no materials blending from one to the other via good construction and craft. Seems it’s only from the computer screen, onto CNC machines and on the building site. There’s no play with the other senses… acoustics? to the touch? atmosphere.. just makes you feel like a small person in a big, weird, functionless sculpture.. not very different than the 3rd year student’s work. Let’s develop some more unique, interesting and human theories and concepts rather than fluid (dynamic??) architecture. Architecture is not meant to be dynamic..
February 11th, 2009 at 12:56 am
“dear zaha hadid”…put yourself in your place. This is beautiful.
February 11th, 2009 at 2:53 am
she is my idol…rock our world.
February 11th, 2009 at 5:22 am
…for those wondering if or how Zaha would fit the program in here, I’ll bet you’d be surprised at how effectively the interior space is organized. This project looks to me like it was designed by the same team in Zaha’s studio that designed the Museo Regionale Dell’Arte Contemporanea Del Mediterraneo Di Cagliari (that’s a mouthful: here’s a link, also a mouthful:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/project/uploaded_files/617_385%2520Zaha%2520Nuragic.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php%3Ffuseaction%3Dwanappln.projectview%26upload_id%3D617&usg=__S5UxiOjRlVricVSWZDF8jRMwvEc=&h=514&w=385&sz=31&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=NT-zP-i7S3UkzM:&tbnh=131&tbnw=98&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dzaha%2Bmuseo%2Bcagliari%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1C1CHMI_en-USUS299US303%26sa%3DN).
That project is similar monumental blobitecture – to some, beautiful, to others, an abomination. I like some of Zaha’s stuff, and am fairly in awe of her obvious talent, but for the most part I think her atectonic/amaterial shtick has gotten a little tiresome, perhaps offensive considering the exorbitant costs and extravagance of her designs. That said, her interior spaces tend to be VERY well organized. I’ve seen the plans for the Museo I mention above, and they’re spot on amazing, like the form or no. Her factory for BMW is another tremendous example of her firm’s clear ability to master program and interior organization.
February 11th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
@Nanu… Perfect!
“This project is HOT! Zaha is HOT!”
Plastic, organic, beautiful, but… She’s the queen of the 3D Studio!!!
February 11th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
ormai hai rotto!!!
February 11th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I HEART Zaha.
But I have to say it’s getting a wee little bit tedious after some point.
February 11th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
my comment in coming right from reggio calabria – reggio mayor francesco scopelliti has just returned from london after signing “approval” for building take off! wow eh? I invite you all to come down and visit rc ( zaha included ) to understand why this building does not make any sense -
it’s not a matter of like it or hate it -
i think quality architecture must go beyond and really few details of the space and not a clue of who and how they are gonna build it-
…uhm
last but not least I also invite you all to look up all the major damage that has occured on the coasts ( waterfronts) in reggio calabria –
i feel that this was a dynamic task ( not referring to forms) – bla bla bla
sorry getting away with the writing
February 11th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
to all zaha bashers: NOT EVERYONE CAN MAKE SHAPES EVEN IF YOU GIVE THEM PLASTICINES OR COMPLEX 3D SOFTWARES.. different people have different philosophies to architecture SO LIVE WITH IT.. If Zaha is making forms for the sake of making forms, aint you guys bashing for the sake of bashing too? get a plush toy if you need something to beat up..
February 12th, 2009 at 12:13 am
beckham is totally correct…
I’d like to see you all “attempt” to build this model in generative components/rhino/maya say….
GOOD LUCK REVIT MONKEYS
February 12th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
come on beckham and nexus – we are talking about architecture not software
February 16th, 2009 at 5:36 am
Graceful and elegant.
I generally really like Zaha Hadid. This work seems to be rather subdued for her. I don’t mean that as a criticism though.
February 16th, 2009 at 10:17 am
they can build this, concrete and auto paint haha! zaha hadid is growing on me, getting better and better, in some circumstances, the best.
February 20th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
RELAX PEOPLE !! Is just Zaha !!!
March 7th, 2009 at 1:14 am
all bow to your goddess ZAHA,
this is what you people on blogs like this call architecture.
when will you people ever learn?
March 22nd, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Why don’t you critics try to make a point out of what you´re saying instead of simply criticizing for the sake of it, you talk about having purpose in the formal aspects of architecture well then be consequent with your thoughts and make something out of your words? Why don’t you comment with a better intention of making architecture move and evolve, by proposing different ideas, instead of just simply writing hasty words on other people´s work.
None of these comments are going to change the way architecture is done now a days, nor the way it will be done, the only way of making architecture evolve and change is by making more architecture, so if anyone has something to teach us about how buildings should be done why don’t they come up to the plate and show us how it’s done based on real life experience. Beginning by which there is not only one proper way of making architecture but many and this is one example of it, and if Zaha Hadid is that successful is because she is doing her thing right, don’t forget she is a pritzker price winner. And at least she is proposing her own thoughts on architecture, and not just because her works are not right angled doesn’t mean they´re not functional. Or would you find that a well distributed building built on pure solid crap would be better considered functional.
That is only a thought based on physical functionality but if you go beyond, as Klaus commented, there is magic in the building, it’s attractive, entertaining, and seductive, there is a further functionality. Off course it won’t satisfy everybody but that’s why every architect has its own signature, and somehow architecture can delight a wider variety of tastes. But to this specific case, Zaha Hadid’s forms have much more coherence to me rather than let’s say Le Corbusier forms since they resemble our own human forms, our physiognomy, because I can’t find a right angle in my body. As a general concept architecture, is meant for human beings and I believe this kind of shapes embrace us and make us fill part of the environment, which to me satisfies any purpose.
Let there be variety in architecture, Calatrava, Gehry, Hadid, Nouvel, Koohlaas etc instead of making everything so tight and right angled. I think that squared architecture is just a reflection of the human boring and squared life based on the same parameters as always, instead Zaha Hadid’s architecture reflects freedom in formal aspect with fluid lines and volumes that change and move along her designs, this reflects joyfulness, diversity and an open mind.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Thank you Klaus and Martin V. because through your constructive comments you provide your vision, your view point and not simply a naive comment empty of sence… Yes I am a fan of Zaha Hadid and all architects and designers who dare to think differently and do their best!
PS: when I started to read comments, I noticed that some repeat “badpan, badpan…”. I got the impression there is bunch of people traumatized from the hospital and see this “badpan” through Zaha’s project!
Francois Beydoun
August 24th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Bedpan (sorry) emotion…