Here’s our editor’s pick – highlighting four looks and collections that Zaha Hadid Design is launching during Milan Design Week 2023, which takes place April 18 – 23…
Since 2006, when Zaha Hadid Design (ZHD) was established by celebrated architect Zaha Hadid, challenging form, structure and conventional approaches to design has been in the DNA of the studio.
From lighting to furniture, artefacts to garments, each item created by the team at the studio, led by Maha Kutay and Woody Yao, is a statement that confronts contemporary design with unapologetic style. The team are constantly pushing boundaries by implementing the latest technology and material advancements with a thorough methodological approach, often in collaboration with other brands.
With Milan Design Week approaching, the interior design and architecture industry is questioning what is next for brands like ZHD that are fuelled by innovation. Well, we have been teased with a sneak preview on what the studio will be launching and, in true ZHD style, it’s all about form, structure and materials.
Seyun – a collaboration between Zaha Hadid Design and Karimoku
Image credit: Masaki Ogawa
Seyun is a collection of wooden furniture – comprising of a chair, an armchair and a table – that explores the juxtaposition between the hardness of the material wood and the sense of lightness achieved through the design.
The furniture pieces, designed by ZHD and crafted in wood by Karimoku Furniture, are composed as a series of conjoined asymmetrical surfaces that reference Zaha Hadid‘s univocal sense of aesthetic whilst conveying a sense of elegance and standing.
Image credit: Masaki Ogawa
Blending traditional Japanese woodworking techniques with contemporary design, the items from the Seyun collection are distinguished by the natural aesthetic of the material wood and the distinctive design idiom of Zaha Hadid. The collection will be available in a select number of finishes that support both the dynamic flow of the design and the natural grain of the wood.
“Karimoku Furniture proves to be an ideal partner for Zaha Hadid Design,” commented Kutay. “Their accuracy and excellent quality of execution exquisitely match our distinctive design language and uncompromising attention to detail.”
The collection will make its international debut this year in a striking exhibition at the historic MUSEO Bagatti Valsecchi, in Milan’s city centre.
Aria Infinita – a collaboration between Zaha Hadid Design and Slamp
Image credit: Zaha Hadid Design
The collaboration between ZHD and Slamp gave rise in 2013 to Aria and Avia, a project that expressed Slamp’s approach to lighting innovation. Aria Infinita is a mutated representation of Aria; it combines dynamism and sculptural features, conveying ZHD’s distinctive approach: sinuous lines and bold geometries inform this design, delivering a powerful and scenographic experience.
The result is surprising and goes beyond the traditional concept of lighting: Aria Infinita is a modular system that, starting from a minimum extension of 4.7 metres, can be ideally replicated to fit any dimension, suiting private as well as public environments.
The Aria and Avia light sculptures, which were created ten years ago, are precisely the starting point for the creation of Aria Infinita: the sheets that follow one other in the structure are in fact the same ones that now harmoniously assume imposing formats, open and develop linearly in space, creating a large sinusoidal wave, available in white and gold colours.
“We couldn’t be happier to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our collaboration with Slamp,” said Yao on the relationship. “We do not see them simply as clients, yet as part of our family, Slamp shares our ethos, we approach our contemporaneity with the same curiosity and optimism, and I think this is evident in the work we develop together.”
Plush – a collaboration between Zaha Hadid Design and Sawaya & Moroni
Image credit: Sawaya Moroni
First designed by Zaha Hadid in 2007, Plush wasn’t prototyped until 2016, just prior the architect’s passing, before it was remodelled and finalised in 2022 by the studio.
Combining ergonomics with a voluptuous, sculptural design, Plush for Sawaya Moroni redefines the sofa typology by magnifying the relation between object and space. The curvilinear design transmits the natural beauty and tranquility of pebbles and rock formations eroded by natural elements, allowing the piece to be perceived and appreciated from any perspective and point of view – aptly fitting in any environment as a true centrepiece, subtly combining the solidity of the structural components with the softness of the upholstery and the cushioning, while the lacquered finish enhances the overall composition.
Filari – a collaboration between Zaha Hadid Design and Citco
Image credit: Zaha Hadid Design
Citco and ZHD’s long-standing relationship, which includes the innovation of sculptural vases and tables made from marble, continues this year with a new chapter for both brands. Cue the launch of Filari, a new range of dynamically designed wall features and standalone floor sculptures that reflect the studio’s signature fluid architectural form – as seen, for example, in the ME Dubai, which was the first hotel to open, sheltering work from both ZHD and Zaha Hadid Architects.
Main image credit: Zaha Hadid Design / Slamp
