

zaha hadid: chanel mobile art pavilion paris
‘mobile art pavilion’ by zaha hadid, paris, franceimage © francois lacour, courtesy of institut du monde arabe
zaha hadid’s mobile art pavilion has found its permanent home outside of the institute du monde arabe in paris after a world tour – inclusive of new york, tokyo and hong kong – that began in 2008. donated to the institute by chanel, the unit will aid in the development of broader cultural programs at the center and will host exhibitions that showcase the talent of designers, artists and architects from arab countries.
conceived through a system of natural organization, the structure is shaped by both functional and conceptual considerations. fluid geometries and organic lines compose a continuum of fluent and dynamic spaces, where oppositions between light and dark, interior and exterior and natural and artificial are manufactured. undulating surfaces and flowing volumes converge, constantly redefining the quality and experience of each exhibition space, while guiding movement throughout.
entrance image © designboom
distorted and contoured, the unit is an expression of the integration between sculpted lines and formal logic. derived from new digital modeling tools, the low spiraling pavilion contrasts the order and repetition evident in jean nouvel’s nearby building.
exterior elevation image © designboom
detail of exterior cladding image © designboom
exterior entrance image © designboom
entrance image © designboom
coat closet image © designboom
ceiling detail image © designboom
entrance image © designboom
lobby image © designboom
wall detail image © designboom
view towards lobby image © francois lacour, courtesy of institut du monde arabe
detail of area divider image © francois lacour, courtesy of institut du monde arabe
exhibition space image © designboom
bench in exhibition space image © designboom
ramp image © designboom
physical model image © designboom
physical model image © designboom
floor plan image courtesy of zaha hadid architects
aerial view at night image © francois lacour, courtesy of institut du monde arabe
night view image © francois lacour, courtesy of institut du monde arabe
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the design would be more appropriate for a public toilet
Very cool, very sci-fi
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!!!
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
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.
The lighting is totally pimping.
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.
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.
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.
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…
I’D LOVE TO SEE MS. HADID DESIGN A CAR.
she’s already done a car!
as a designer I can say that she is a good architect! 😉