zaha hadid: chanel mobile art pavilion paris

the design would be more appropriate for a public toilet

niels   05.16.11

Very cool, very sci-fi

JtR   05.16.11

I think some comments would better be flushed in a public toilet rather than be published!!
The design is so seemless and the internal spaces fluid and flexible....excellent design!!!

Carlo   05.16.11

It isn't the proper place to stay. The IMA façade and square lost their strength, forced to compete in a challenging way with the spectacular pavilion

annaparch   05.16.11

This is an example of a pavillion that is supposed to show off the contents. Instead, it is hard to look at the exhibits separate from the exhibited pavillion. Zaha's technology is flawless but her forms and their relationship to the interior and exterior are non-existant.

faf   05.16.11

The lighting is totally pimping.

Joy   05.16.11

it's over-designed.
you can not tell the exhibits from the exhibition-space, and that is not what architecture is about.
It's not architecture, it's a walk-in-sculpture.
and in these terms, it's ugly.

V.Ophrene   05.16.11

The outside is spectacular - hardly ugly. And as far as anyone on here (or anywhere) making declarations determining what architecture should, or shouldn't be about; who are you to define the parameters of architecture?

And anyway, so what if its walk-in sculpture? What will happen to users if it is, will they die or something?

I agree that in order to qualify as a gallery the exhibits should be the focus within the interior, and therefore it could be accused of being a little over-designed.

douglas montgomery   05.16.11

allright, depending on the viewer its somewhere between ugly and beautiful, that's just my personal taste.
I do not claim that it is my pleasure to define the parameters of architecture, but i think i hit common ground when i say, that architecture itself is not to be displayed as a pure work of art, architecture is not just beautiful but should be practical, and ergonomic for those who use it: "form follows function". That is easy to say, i know, but in my opinion, good architecture tells already on the outside what's happening on the inside. And in this case it could be everything from a bus-station to a luxurious porter-potty.
And no, nobody will die because of it being a walk-in sculpture, but i merely criticize the way of it being an exhibition space, as it puts itself on the same level, if not before the exhibits.

V.Ophrene   05.17.11

I just want to add, V, that no, you do not hit common ground.....that is again your personal taste, which you happen to share with a portion of other people - of which there are another portion who would disagree. "Form follows function" is certainly one idiom, of which there are many more. Saying you speak for the masses, or 'hit common ground', is maybe a little exaggerated. I myself am no massive fan of Hadid's work, but it is hard not to look at this project and admire the level of design and craft (pushing digital fabrication in this case) that has been executed, even if it could be interpreted as being overwhelming (but it's nice to look for the positives occasionally isn't it?). As for the nature of an exhibition space playing second fiddle to the pieces within it, you raise a very interesting and timeless debate....but let me ask you this: how many gallery buildings/spaces that one would consider important/iconic/canonical do not make you stop, look around and admire the space? How about the Guggenheim, or the Tate Modern, or the British Museum, or the Kimbell Art Museum, or EVEN Mies' National Gallery? As for good architecture telling us on the outside what is happening on the inside, I do not necessarily disagree; but would you, without prior knowledge, be able to tell me what was contained in those few examples above? Is it appropriate that we should walk up to a boxy museum/exhibition space that obviously displayed on the outside that it is a "place to look at stuff" and was entirely neutral/subservient on the inside? Why shouldn't a place that exhibits works of art be a work of art in itself? Couldn't THAT be seen as the best way to tell us on the outside what's happening on the inside? Those were questions, not statements by the way. Anyway, good chat, keep up the discussions...

Louis Hall   05.17.11

I'D LOVE TO SEE MS. HADID DESIGN A CAR.

louisa@2120   05.18.11

she's already done a car!
as a designer I can say that she is a good architect! ;)

Thomas-RJ-BR   05.25.11