Zaha Hadid and Marble
Few people have not heard of the distinguished Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. Famous for her radical styles, she has many futuristic designs in her profound portfolio. What is extraordinary about her is that she gave a new life to the already present materials around her. Designers have long used marbles; however, how she sculpts and gives them shape is unique. She was way ahead of her time, making her designs a step further into the inevitable and possible path we need to take to keep ourselves updated in today’s fast-paced world.
This remarkable architect had many collaborations with the Citco Company. In one of her projects, the Secret Garden Pavilion, she presented her wall designs. These marble walls have a curved and bent style. These walls go vertically up as is expected of them. But they also occupy the space in all the possible ways the same way nature does. Inspired by natural elements and their energy, she designed these marble walls. These walls are not an addition to this garden but a continuation of what is already there. It is fascinating how marble gets shapes in such a different way.
In a way, her works with marble remind us of the intricate sculptors of Michelangelo. However, what enables her designs to become more than an abstraction in the minds, is the machinery employed that fashions and shapes the marble as imagined and planned.
Her Mercuric designs
She has in her experience the production of a limited series of marble tables. As expected, these are the turning tables of the age. These tooth-shaped tables with their crowns on the ground came in three different colors. Her Luna marble table is also innovative with its three-legged design that looks like a piece of a futuristic spacecraft. This table has built-in bowls on its surface that reflect its materialistic nature and the opposing forces at work. The designs were created on computers and later carved and shaped by the revolutionary machines she often used.
Cella
This unfathomable design is anything but what we expect of a fireplace. At first glance, it shows nothing more than an amorphous marble piece of art. The reality is that it is a fireplace with an indent caused by the opposing interior and exterior forces. These designs come with a story that reflects on society and the individuals that suffer.
Quad marble tables
Her most current set of works with marble before her passing away include the marble quad tables. The horizontal to vertical adjacency happens subtly and softly, avoiding any sharp angles. The central void leads to these soft edges and finds its way on the floor.
That a designer such as Hadid decides to work with marble to exhibit contemporary pieces teaches us a lot. Marbles have long been cherished and used by people of all different ages. The only thing hindering us from utilizing marbles in our modern works could be our imagination since only the sky is the limit.
