Some buildings don’t just sit on the ground, they move through it. This project by Zaha Hadid Architects is one of them.
She has created this masterpiece very wisely, considering the aesthetic and usage as well. The building does not look like three separate towers, I see motion frozen in time. The curvs and the twirls create the illusion of the building being shaped by wind, not by hands. Horizontal bands wrap around the forms like contour lines on a topographic map.
If I were to rebuild this building today, I would preserve the confidence of this building. Because great architecture doesn’t wait for approval, it is not about being perfect and polite, it is about being felt. And this building does not just stand in the city. It reshapes how the city feels to move through. Imagine this in your own city, wouldn’t it suddenly make the space feel nothing like before? Even in the most basic place, a building like this can really transform the place. However there are some things that I would change. I would redesign the ground floor so people feel welcome, not confused. For this, I would add clear walking paths instead of curved shapes. Because a building should not only be creating an aesthetic, it should also be serving comfort. I would also open the building more at street level so you can see the inside. This way, the building can create a more inviting vibe rather than a robotic or too futuristic look. Another thing I would retouch would be the horizantal lines that wrap around the building. I would break the lines at entrances and use different textures and materials in different areas, and also make more important floors stand out. The lines are beautiful, but they all look the same, which makes the building feel robotic. Small changes would help people recognize entrances and main spaces.
In addition, I think the bridges can be used as a tool to make the building feel more inviting. At the moment, the bridges are mainly for walking through. I would turn them into places where people want to stop and spend time. For example some seats and a coffee machine, couches or simply even a small cafe that people can buy a hot beverage while also using the passage. Also at night, there could be added warm lights and when looked from the outside, it can create a welcoming and home-like vibe. Also for sustainability, I would bring more daylight into the interior spaces adding larger openings facing the courtyards or simply using lighter materials. The building looks light from the outside, but some inside spaces feel closed. Natural light makes spaces feel calmer or more alive. I would also add sun-shading to reduce heat, use energy-saving glasses and collect rainwater for landscaping because in my opinion, a building should also respond to todays climate problems, not just look futuristic. In architecture, making the building causes harm to the environment, and it is our job the undo the damage to crate a more sustainable and happy earth.
This is really helpful, thanks for sharing!