Fields, Ribbons, Folds: Somatic Landscapes for Zaha Hadid, and: Abandoned Dome, and: Unité d’Habitation, and: The Art of Pleasure, and: Skinless Love

Fields, Ribbons, Folds: Somatic Landscapes for Zaha Hadid

Adapted from Zaha Hadid’s project notes

1. The Centre of the Body

The circulation system is a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle made up of solids and voids running the full length of the lobby. A three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle curves slowly upward as it enters, running the full length of the body. Pedestrian movement curves slowly upward as it enters the dynamic public space. Pedestrian movement forms an undulating translucent skin. The dynamic public space forms a series of polished surfaces covered in undulating translucent skin. Passersby see into the life of the Centre through a series of polished surfaces. Passersby are the light of the Centre, a circulation system made of solids and voids.

2. Vitra’s Dance

As one passes through the fire station one catches glimpses of the fire engines, a series of choreographic notations. Their lines of movement inscribe the asphalt.

One catches glimpses of the fire engines. Similarly, firemen will be inscribed into the ground. Their lines of movement inscribe the asphalt which punctures, tilts, and breaks.

Firemen will be inscribed into the ground, defining space rather than occupying space which punctures, tilts, and breaks. Walls appear to slide past each other

defining space rather than occupying space. Like the lines of light walls slide past each other with precise and fast movement.

Like the lines of light one passes through the fire station. The precise and fast movement like a series of choreographic notations.

3. Operatic Space

You can eliminate wasted space by very simple moves, in terms of planes, in terms of spatial organization.

By very simple moves my work began to be about volumes and spatial organization. The project became projected space.

My work began to be about volumes, about layers of volumes becoming projected space as opposed to layers of planes.

These layers of volumes are like reading the Bible as opposed to layers of planes. You have to be able to move

around them like reading the Bible or any set of religious guides. You have to be able to move around them so that buildings

can allow air and light. Like any set of religious guides these things are fluid, not rigid. Even buildings can allow

air and light. Through precision and interpretation you can eliminate wasted space. Through precision

and interpretation, buildings become fluid.

4. Soon, the Garden

Interwoven spaces are caught. One path snuggles up to the south side. Another, gently sloping, rises over its back. The third cuts diagonally through the interior. One path snuggles up to the south side. The surrounding network of paths cuts diagonally through the interior and entangles to make the building. The surrounding network of paths half submerged in the ground entangles to make the building, which emerges from the fluid geometry. Half submerged in the ground, the root of the building emerges from fluid geometry. The space for the garden festival roots the building. In the space for the garden festival, interwoven paths are caught, gently sloping, rising toward each other.

Abandoned Dome

I leaked.

And my ceilings went on forever. You could lose your head and kite. You could fall in love with distance and grow lonely at the same time.

I could never be divided. I wanted you wholly. I wanted to lick your open spaces, your paranoia, and the damp salt behind each knee.

Come, let me charm you in my whisper gallery where I can hear you breathe from the other side of the moon and when you moan, each window moans too.

My sounds once delighted— triangle, pentagon, icosahedron, ding-dong, I miss you.

The front door, so difficult to open, meant please and stay, love insulating our private balloon.

Unité d’Habitation

I have decided to make beauty by contrast.

–Le Corbusier

It was an ugly time. Streets in the sky as close as we would get. We kept losing the door. Without a place to enter no one...