Hadid’s Chanel pavilion

Inspired by the iconic Chanel 2.55 handbag, Zaha Hadid’s Mobile Art structure reshapes the way polymers can be used by architects
By Michael Stacey

Fibre-reinforced polymer composite panels provide the sleek building fabric of Zaha Hadid’s travelling pavilion that is a celebration of the classic 2.55 Chanel handbag.
The pavilion has a toroidal-like form wrapped around a central daylit internal court, however this is not a geometry optimised to make repetitive geometric elements, the form of the pavilion has been explored and delineated by the architects.

Cladding the pavilion
The FRP panels for the Chanel pavilion are detailed as a rainscreen with the waterproofing and insulation provided by an unseen blanket-like construction. The wall panels range in size and are approximately 1.5m x 2m while the roof panels are 2m x 4m.
The panels were engineered by Optima Project using finite element analysis optimising the laminate construction, while achieving the stiffness required by the performance specification for the most exposed venue. The panels are reinforced by glass fibres in combination of biaxial stitched cloth and chopped strand mat. The glass fibres are held in a matrix of fire retardant polyester resin. FRP panels can be readily detailed to provide a high level of thermal insulation.
The panels were sanded by hand after they were de-moulded to achieve the fine finish.

It’s all in the bag
The pavilion housed work by 20 international artists including Tabaimo, Lee Bul and Leandro Erlich all inspired by Chanel’s quilted chain-strap handbag, which first appeared in 1955 and was reissued in 2005 by fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. The pavilion is a flowing spiral of space. This is a personalised and skilfully crafted spatial journey, a redefinition of dancing around the handbag.
The global financial crisis has put the pavilion’s world tour on hold, though, and it is currently being stored in the UK.

“CORIAN® super-surfaces”

Creating for the 2009 edition of the Milan week of design. A conceptual interpretation of the lounge environment as a dynamic space of transition between neutral and active states, “CORIAN® super-surfaces” is a frozen moment within a dynamic sequence of transformations which morph DuPont™ Corian® into a fluid and elastic collection of integrated kitchen, bathroom and flooring concepts highlighted by an astonishing feature wall.


"The lounge is a loosely defined architectural concept about a space that is animated by the movement of people in transit. A drop of water creating a series of ripples became our metaphor for transforming space through movement. Just as the ripple causes intricate moiré patterns in water, the Corian lounge installation is about revealing the moment of change through visual complexity. With the repetition of identical elements that have been physically transformed, a frozen moment is captured through a sequence of dynamic surfaces creating kinetic visual effects."