Dorobanti Tower, Bucharest, Romania

Presenting a new style for the London architect's books

Romania's capital city could be set to receive a 200m tall offering from star-architect Zaha Hadid. Dorobanti Tower has been proposed to join the eclectic mix of historic, communist and modern architecture in Bucharest and if approved will tower 80 m above the present tallest building in the city.

Providing a 5-star hotel (34,000 sq m) and apartments (35,000 sq m) the elliptical meshed structure has been designed to create an iconic presence in the heart of the city. The tapering form, a product of regulations and restrictions due to adjacent listed buildings, provides an immediate contrast to the jagged edged communist architecture surrounding the plot.

The meandering exterior columns are formed of concrete filled steel which both adds strength to the structure and provides fire resistance for the steel frame.

The design represents a departure from Hadid's signature style, however, this is integrated in to a public realm surrounding the structure in the addition of a "warped concrete carpet" with one continuous surface connecting the three surrounding streets adjacent to the tower. The deformations on the landscape create seating areas, water basins, garden spaces including trees and a lifted terrace.

Designed for the client, Smartown Investments, there will also be 4,600 sq m of retail situated in the base of the tower. Dorobanti Tower is scheduled for completion in 2013.

Library & Learning Centre – University of Economics & Business Vienna, Austria

Zaha Hadid works her magic at the University of Economics & Business, Vienna

Currently under construction, Zaha Hadid’s dramatic design for a new Library and Learning Centre rises as a polygonal block from the centre of a new campus (masterplan by BUSarchitecture) at the University of Economic & Business, Vienna.

Employing both inclined and straight edges, the structure takes the form of a cube whose sweeping lines separate as they move inwards. These edges become curvilinear and fluid to create a free-formed internal public plaza at the centre of the complex. Additional facilities are contained within a single volume which divides and then intertwines to enclose this glazed gathering space.

At 28,000 sq m the new centre is generous in size and will comprise of a ‘Learning Centre’ with workplaces, lounges and cloakrooms, library, a language laboratory, training classrooms, administration offices, study services and central supporting services, copy shop, book shop, data center, cafeteria, event area, clubroom and auditorium. Initiated through a two-phase competition in 2008 the project is slated for completion in 2012.

Zaha Hadid commented: “I am delighted to be working in Vienna as I have a close affiliation with the city. As a centre of research, the Library and Learning Centre is forum for the exchange of ideas. It is very exciting for us to be part of the University’s expansion.”

Rabat Grand Theatre, Rabat, Morocco

New images released for Grand Theatre in Moroccan capital by Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid Architects has been commissioned to design a cutting-edge Grand Theatre in Rabat, Morocco, following an agreement earlier this month with Lemghari Essakl, Managing Director of l’Agence pour l’Aménagement de la Vallée du Bouregreg (The Bouregreg Valley Development Agency).

The RIBA Stirling Prize 2010 winner commented: “Morocco’s unique musical traditions and rich cultural history in the performing arts are renowned throughout the world. I am honoured to be part of the cultural development of the nation’s capital.”

Renderings for the new facility show an classically Hadidian sculptural form, spreading over a dedicated land area of 47,000 sq m. The space will include two theatres – one with a seated capacity of 2,050, the other, 520 – various creative studios and a fully-equipped outdoor amphitheatre with a capacity of 7,000 people.

The €120m project is part of a wider development scheme in the Bouregreg Valley, with hopes that by the end of 2014, the area will be completely renewed in terms of residential, commercial, leisure and hospitality facilities.

“The Grand Theatre is part of a national programme of cultural development initiated by His Majesty King Mohammed VI,” Mr. Essakl said. “The construction of the Grand Theatre will allow Rabat to showcase its rich cultural heritage as one the world’s greatest cultural centres.”

Eleftheria Square, Nicosia, Cyprus

New urban square at the heart of Nicosia aims to reconnect the two halves of the city

The project of Eleftheria Square is situated in the political context of Nicosia, Europe’s last divided capital and in the historical context of the adjacent Venetian Wall which is buffered by a recessed moat that presently consists of a mainly inaccessible garden and landscape areas. This massive fortification defines the extents of the ancient city and separates it from the modern city outside the walls.

The architectural intervention at Eleftheria Square, which is only a part of a much larger urban planning vision that could become a catalyst for the urban unification of the capital, aspires to organise and synthesise the whole of the Venetian Wall, the Moat and the fringes of inner and the outer parts of the city into a unified whole.

As a result of the architecturally coherent and continuous solution, the Venetian Monument can be reinstated the as a main part of the identity of the city. The moat can become Nicosia’s main park that will provide recreational and cultural facilities while Eleftheria Square will offer a gathering space for public events in a city that still today lacks significant civic spaces.

2012 Olympic Aquatic Centre, London, United Kingdom

“Complex” Hadid Aquatics Centre build to commence ahead of schedule

The Olympic Delivery Authority has hit back at “inaccurate and scathing” reports by the BBC that the Zaha Hadid designed Aquatics Centre will be too complex to build in time for the 2012 Olympics by announcing the early commencement of its construction.

In a press release issued the day after the BBC report, the ODA stated:

“The BBC London report on Tuesday 1 July included claims that the roof of the venue, which will provide swimming and diving facilities currently unavailable in London, may be too complicated to be built and that a potential supplier is concerned about the materials being considered for the roof.

“In fact the sweeping roof is an innovative steel structure with a striking and robust aluminium covering. The Zaha Hadid Architects led design team have worked closely with world class engineers Arup and the main contractor Balfour Beatty to finalise the construction plan for the roof, including maintenance access in legacy.

"The team is currently considering different types of timber cladding for the internal ceiling of the venue and the sides of the roof supports. During the games the Aquatics Centre will offer a capacity of 17,500 seats for the main competition pool and diving, and 5,000 seats for the water polo venue. After the games, 2,500 temporary seats will be removed and a ‘leisure water’ facility added turning the Centre into a permanent fixture in the Stratford community.

In 2007 work began to clear the site of existing buildings and clean up the land in preparation for construction. Planning was sought in January of this year and in April Balfour Beatty were awarded the contract to build the Centre.

Port House, Antwerp, Belgium

Antwerp Port Authority announce Zaha Hadid wins headquarters design 

Located on the boundary between the city of Antwerp and its harbour, the new headquarters for Antwerp Port Authority will house approximately 500 staff (currently working in separate buildings) in a single new building that comprises a former fire station and the new extension.

The new Port House design consists of two entities: the existing fire station and a new crystalline volume lifted above the retained building. Together they form an impressive new landmark as the headquarters of the Antwerp Port Authority, overlooking the city and port, and symbolizing Antwerp as a port of global importance and a major economic driver of the region.

“I am absolutely delighted to be selected to build the headquarters for the Antwerp Port Authority. Antwerp is one of the world’s busiest shipping ports and the new Port House design reflects the city’s worldwide significance in communication and transportation. The dichotomy between the reflective, faceted form of the new extension and the powerful structural mass of the existing fire station creates a bold and enigmatic statement for the city,” states Zaha Hadid.

The jury selected the design by Zaha Hadid Architects as it preserves the dignity of the existing fire station whilst adding a new landmark that will contribute to the further development of the Het Eilandje district of Antwerp.

Evelyn Grace Academy, London, United Kingdom

Fresh from her triumph at the RIBA Stirling Prize, Zaha Hadid has released stunning imagery of the Evelyn Grace Academy - her first completed project in England. The sprawling concrete mass has been designed in collaboration with ARK Schools, an organisation created in 2004 to bridge the academic gap between students living in disadvantaged areas and those with more affluent backgrounds.

Organisation within the school is arranged horizontally, with the 1,200 pupils separated into four sub-schools - Evelyn Middle, Grace Middle, Evelyn Upper and Grace Upper. Students in the two middle schools enter the building via first floor terraces, avoiding any interaction with the upper schools, the students of which access the building using end stair cores. Each middle school is spread over two floors connected internally by a single central stair. An additional first floor terrace also provides access for upper school students.

Each of the four ‘schools within schools' has been given a distinct identity both internally and externally and all have been designed with maximum levels of natural light and ventilation. Many elements of the new academy have been opened to the local community out of school hours; located on the ground floor, these include science labs, common halls and sports facilities such as a dance studio and fitness suite. 

Commenting on the recent completion, Zaha Hadid explained: "It is very significant that our first project in London is the Evelyn Grace Academy. Schools are among the first examples of architecture that everyone experiences and have a profound impact on all children as they grow up. I am delighted that the Evelyn Grace Academy has been so well received by all its students and staff."