When I was offered a position to lead a tower project for Hadid in
Dubai, the Signature Towers – an intertwined trio of office, residential,
and hotel towers, the timing and the opportunity were perfect. immediately – so it is quite fulfilling to know people will soon be
building their lives within a tower, where myself and the team
dedicated so much time and effort to see built.
I worked equally with Hadid and Patrik Schumacher on a number of
designs during my time, and it was always a team effort. Hadid was a
tremendous character and she attracted those with an intense interest
in design and a passion for testing design possibilities. Her guidance
and lessons were broader than individual mentorship. She instilled a
way of thinking, a mind-set and an attitude where you felt empowered
to design beyond current possibilities. Talking of homes, I often say that an architect’s house is never
finished, moreover from working on such stimulating projects – it’s
hard not to want to reimagine your house. So I’ve just ‘finished’ a
complete refurbishment and extension of my London home.
Working on One Thousand Museum Residences was a challenge and
an experience I’ll never forget. We made extensive use of an accurate,
geometrically precise 3D model to maintain a high degree of control
over the design and coordination. It was used for all aspects of design
and further detail development.
We developed and used the model to visualize the building form and
interior spaces, to generate the drawing packages, and to check for
clashes between architecture, structure and mechanical systems. We
also shared the model with some very sophisticated consultants and
fabricators to conduct structural analysis and to produce the panels
that enclose the entire exoskeleton.
The exoskeleton is a world first - a true synthesis of architecture,
structure, and fabrication. It is a “pure” system that expresses this
synthesis.
Typically, structure, external cladding, and internal finishes are three
completely isolated and separately applied systems. A structure is
erected, then it has cladding attached to it, and finally, an internal
finish is applied.
With One Thousand Museum Residences, however, internal and
external finishes are not simply applied, they are part of the system
– the permanent formwork - used to erect the structure. Structure,
internal and external finish are all integrated and completed together
as a result of the system.
The spirit of innovation at ZHA is always a driving force in our designs.
As a result, the One Thousand Museum tower is visually and physically
pioneering, yet it is structurally efficient and perfectly suited to fulfil
its programmatic requirements. The tower features deep balconies,
broad vistas, generous amenities, and parking levels all configured and
expressed in an unexpected way and to create one synthesized design.
Working on One Thousand Museum utilised such an array of different
techniques and it’s hard not to be inspired, when the project itself is
something very special. The One Thousand Museum tower has recently
obtained its temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) indicating the
building is now ready for occupancy and closings can commence
What was once a typical Victorian Terrace House on the inside and
out, now maintains its traditional exterior and is juxtaposed by a very
modern open and brightly day-lit interior.
Living in a conservation area means external modifications are
extremely limited. Additionally, the original property posed many
challenges. Extremely small spaces, awkward circulations, dampness
and low internal daylight levels.
I was determined to confront these challenges and transform this
house into a modern family dwelling – one my family, friends and
colleagues would be proud of and could enjoy!
From a design front, we fully integrated structural steel to achieve the
goal of uninterrupted surfaces and continuous spaces. This was the
basis to ensuring generous daylight, unencumbered spatial flow, and
a marked contrast between the original Victorian features adjacent to
the modern design which now characterises our home.
In my career thus far I have worked on such a broad range of projects
at differing scales. Each building type and each scale of project
brings with it new challenges and experiences. It is always thrilling to
explore a new building type or building sector.
I would say working on wineries are one of my favourite challenges.
I was fortunate to have done a winery in Spain. I see a winery as
an agro-industrial building which has to blend the extremes of
being highly functional, yet cultural and artistic. It is an architecture
integrated into the landscape with the purpose of crafting something
rich from the earth’s harvest.
I guess that’s a similar challenge to designing a home.
Providing an attractive, functional space, yet reaching beyond to
create an environment full of interest, passion and enjoyment – a
haven where a family can flourish.
One Thousand Museum by Zaha Hadid is a limited collection of
museum-quality homes which offers an unprecedented level of
service and amenities, available exclusively through ONE Sotheby’s
International Realty www.sothebysrealty.com
WORKING ON ONE THOUSAND MUSEUM RESIDENCES WAS A CHALLENGE AND AN
EXPERIENCE I’LL NEVER FORGET.