The work was commissioned by crystal manufacturer Swarovski to mark the twentieth anniversary of the opening of the Vitra Fire Station, Zaha Hadid's first completed building.

Called Prima, it comprises five components that can be arranged in different configurations to create adaptable seating landscapes.

Hadid's original drawings for the Fire Station were translated into three-dimensional fragmented forms to create the seating. Highly polished surfaces reflect the sky and the angles of the nearby building, while strips of LED lighting illuminate the structure at night.

"I have a particular affection for Vitra Fire Station as it was my first building," says Hadid. "Returning to Vitra to work with Swarovski on this installation has been a very rewarding experience."

Prima will be on show at the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany, from tomorrow until 11 August.

First established in the 1980s, the Vitra Campus has become well-known as an unofficial museum of contemporary architecture, including Herzog & de Meuron's VitraHaus showroom, the Vitra Design Museum by Frank Gehry and a conference hall by Tadao Ando.

A SANAA-designed Factory Building is the latest addition, opened in April, and the building proposed for the site will be a children's art workshop by Chilean architect Ale­jan­dro Ar­ave­na.

Zaha Hadid has recently proposed a masterplan for a site beside a lagoon in Izmir as part of Turkey's bid to host the World Expo 2020 and has also been appointed to design a stadium in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

More about architecture and design by Zaha Hadid »
More about the Vitra Campus »

Photography is by Hélène Binet, unless stated otherwise.

Here's some more information from Swarovski:

A spectacular new Swarovski commission – Prima

Swarovski has commissioned Zaha Hadid to create a celebratory installation marking the completion twenty years ago of her first major built project, the Fire Station at Vitra Campus, Weil am Rhein, Germany.

The installation, entitled Prima, is an angular piece made from five highly polished components that can be moved into different configurations. It will be installed in front of the Fire Station, reflecting and honouring the design process of the building. The project recalls the dynamism of Hadid's original drawings created for the Vitra Fire Station, exploding in three dimensions from the lines and planes of the paintings and sketches. Its reflective surfaces contain seating for visitors and are illuminated with LED technology.

One of the world's most celebrated architects, Zaha Hadid was the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize, the most prestigious award in architecture. For years, her radical designs remained on the drawing board, but the turning point came in 1993 with the opening of the Vitra Fire Station commissioned by Vitra's Chairman Rolf Fehlbaum.

Painting formed a critical part of Hadid's early career as the design tool that allowed powerful experimentation in both form and movement - leading to the development of a new language for architecture. Hadid's interest in the concepts of fragmentation and abstraction is evident throughout her repertoire and continues to this day. Originally engaging with the work of Kazimir Malevich, Hadid translated the warped and anti-gravitational space of Russian avant-garde painting and sculpture into her own unique architectural practice.

Using the advanced design and manufacturing technologies available today, the facets of Prima are a direct translation of the dynamic two-dimensional lines and planes on the canvas, reflecting Hadid's detailed experimentation to perfect the Fire Station design. The installation continues this research, documenting Hadid's remarkable journey as an articulator of complexity: a 2D sketch evolves into a workable space, and then into a realised building.

Zaha Hadid commented: "I’m equally proud of all my projects as they each represent different times of my career and periods of research, but I have a particular affection for Vitra Fire Station as it was my first building. Rolf Fehlbaum shares my passion for architecture and was inspired by my early visualizations. He dared to engage me without seeing a prior track record and without the certainty of public success. Returning to Vitra to work with Swarovski on this installation has been a very rewarding experience."

Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, commented: "Zaha is an astonishing force of nature who imparts her designs with power and grace in equal measure. It has been an honour to work with her once again on this exciting celebratory commission. Prima is a dramatic sculptural installation - half art, half furniture, and stunningly beautiful."

Rolf Fehlbaum, Chairman of Vitra, said: "I am happy to have worked with Zaha Hadid at such an early stage of her dazzling career. Her Fire Station is a spectacular building and it looks as impressive now as it did when it was first built. Few other architects would have been able to transform a modest commission like ours into a masterpiece of contemporary architecture. Zaha has been able to do so, thanks to an incredible sense of space and a radically new vision of what architecture can represent."

Prima by Zaha Hadid for Swarovski at Vitra Fire Station on the Vitra Campus, Weil am Rhein, Germany. Prima will be showcased outside the Fire station from 12 June to 11 August 2013. The installation can be viewed as part of the public architectural tours.

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Located just outside the city centre, the site is part of the Inciralti region designated as a future tourist destination and renowned for its hot springs. Zaha Hadid's designs would transform the region into one of Europe’s largest urban recreation areas and it would remain as a public park once the fair was over.

The theme for the fair is entitled New Routes to a Better World/Health for All and will focus on mental and physical well-being as well as the well-being of society and the environment. The site and its surrounding infrastructure are thus designed to be environmentally friendly with a low carbon footprint.

Izmir narrowly missed out to Milan on the bid for the Expo 2015, while its competitors for the 2020 fair are São Paulo in Brazil, Yekaterinburg in Russia, Ayutthaya in Thailand and Dubai. The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) General Assembly in Paris is expected to reveal the winning city in November.

Zaha Hadid is currently also working on designs for a Qatar stadium for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a metro station in Saudi Arabia and a residential skyscraper in Miami.

See more architecture and design by Zaha Hadid on Dezeen »
See more stories about Turkey »

Image by Methanoia.

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News: Zaha Hadid Architects has been appointed to design a new stadium in Qatar that will host matches during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The studio will work with engineering and construction specialist AECOM to deliver the scheme in the city of Al Wakrah, which is 12 miles from Doha.

During the tournament the Al Wakrah stadium will seat 45,000 spectators, with the capacity reduced to 20,000 as part of the legacy plan.

Last year, sports architecture firm Populous scrapped plans to air condition a stadium it is designing for the tournament, saying these systems are too expensive and "notoriously unsustainable" when used in desert environments.

Zaha Hadid Architects has also been selected to design the new national stadium for Japan and was the firm behind the Aquatics Centre for the London 2012 Olympics, which recently had two temporary spectator stands removed from its sides.

The Aquatics Centre was criticised for providing some spectators with a restricted view, although the studio claimed that this was not their fault.

See all stories about stadium design »
See all architecture and design by Zaha Hadid »

Here is some more information from AECOM:

AECOM wins Al Wakrah 2022 FIFA World Cup stadium contract in Qatar
03-Jun-2013

AECOM announced today that it has been selected to provide design consultancy and construction supervision services for the Al Wakrah Stadium and Precinct for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar.

The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee has appointed AECOM, in association with Zaha Hadid Architects, as the design consultant for the project.

Al Wakrah will serve as a host city for a 2022 FIFA World Cup stadium and precinct, and is located approximately 12 miles south of Doha. It is one of the oldest inhabited areas in Qatar, with a rich cultural heritage evidenced by its traditional Islamic architecture, historical buildings, distinctive mosques and archaeological sites.

The stadium will have a tournament capacity of 45,000 spectators during the games and, by using modular best practice design, the number will be reduced to 20,000 spectators for the legacy program in Qatar. Another important element of the design project will be the integration of cooling-technology systems with climate-control requirements for renewable energy production.

“We are delighted to be involved with the 2022 FIFA World Cup program and to support the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee,” said AECOM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John M. Dionisio. “This is an exciting time for Qatar, and our global team of forward-thinking sports experts is well equipped to meet the challenges that a project of this caliber demands.”

The vision set by the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee is one that embraces the cultural heritage of the host city and the adjacent historical Qatari settlement of Al Wukair. Incorporating this identity will be a crucial part of the stadium design and enhancing the fan experience.

Work on the project is set to begin immediately.

About AECOM

AECOM is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government. With approximately 45,000 employees around the world, AECOM is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world's built, natural, and social environments. A Fortune 500 company, AECOM serves clients in more than 140 countries and had revenue of $8.2 billion during the 12 months ended March 31, 2013. More information on AECOM and its services can be found at www.aecom.com.

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The ground floor and lower floor of the Zaha Hadid Design Gallery contains furniture, lighting, jewellery and paintings by the architect.

There's also a floor of architectural models upstairs, available to view by appointment.

The space was previously home to a pop-up hair salon designed by Hadid during last year's London Design Festival.

Following the launch during Clerkenwell Design Week, the gallery and showroom is now open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday between midday and 6pm at 101 Goswell Road, London, EC1V 7EZ.

We reported on the highlights from the design fair last week, including lamps that look like vats from a milking parlour and a target made of reflective pixels that change with the light – see all products and events from Clerkenwell Design Week.

Last week two temporary wing-like seating stands were removed from Hadid's Aquatics Centre at the London 2012 Olympic Park, allowing the building to be seen for the first time as it was originally designed.

Developers recently unveiled images of Hadid's proposed 60-storey residential skyscraper in Miami, USA – see all architecture by Zaha Hadid.

Photographs are by Luke Hayes.

Here's some more information about the gallery:

Zaha Hadid Design Gallery

Zaha Hadid Design opens a new Gallery and Showroom featuring innovative product and furniture designs over 2 floors. Also featuring paintings and other artwork by Zaha Hadid.

Zaha Hadid Design creates a wide variety of pieces for living and for the home, from sculptural jewellery to limited edition furniture, experimenting with architectural projects at a small scale, exploring the latest technological and material innovations, as well as responding directly to commercial briefs.

Her portfolio spans a concept for an entire room to bespoke jewellery commissions. The gallery, arranged over two floors, is the first opportunity to view exclusive new designs recently shown in Milan, alongside a showcase of iconic products and original artwork.

Many of the products are available to buy so if you are interested please ask. The space hosts an ever-changing programme of exhibitions and collaborations. We have recently hosted a pop-up hair salon and we regularly showcase emerging fashion and jewellery designers.

As an architect and designer, Zaha Hadid's designs explore spatial concepts at all scales, from the city to individual product, interior and furniture commissions.

Her projects are internationally renowned and have won the Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize in two consecutive years.

She was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2004, becoming the first woman to receive architecture's highest honour, and her Aquatics Centre was the centrepiece of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. She is also engaged in experimental research, leading an architectural practice and teaching.

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The two temporary stands increased spectator capacity from 2500 to 7500 during the Olympic games, but their removal will enable the building's conversion to a public swimming pool, set to open in spring 2014.

The final two 172-tonne trusses were removed yesterday and huge panels of glazing will now be installed along the two side elevations, allowing natural light into the building's three pools and corresponding with Zaha Hadid's original design. Once open, it will also offer a cafe, crèche and dry-dive training area.

The renovation forms part of the £292million legacy programme to convert the Olympic site into the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which will open in phases beginning with North Park this July.

The Aquatics Centre could be used as a competition venue again if London wins its bid to host the 2014 FINA Diving Championships and the 2016 European Swimming Championships.

Hadid's building was completed in July 2011, a year ahead of the London 2012 Olympics and features an undulating wave-like roof and six curved concrete diving boards. See more images of the Olympic venues in our slideshow feature.

See more architecture by Zaha Hadid »
See all stories about London 2012 »

Photography by David Poultney for LLDC.

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