The Victoria and Albert Museum is destined to receive a Zaha Hadid centerpiece during the London Design Festival this autumn (13-21 September). The architect's sweeping 'Crest' installation - commissioned by ME by Meliá Hotels International in celebration of the 2016 launch of the group's Hadid-designed ME Dubai hotel - will hover above the pond in V&A's John Madejski garden.
'We envisaged a piece that would emerge from the fountain at the centre of the pool,' Hadid said of the futuristic addition that will sit in stark contrast to the museum's 19th century façade. 'The metallic surface will reflect the sky on one side and the rippling water on the underside.'
Built to withstand relocation, the suspended piece will later migrate to Hadid's UAE hotel project, taking up permanent residence within the 5-star property's sculptural surrounds. 'Crest is designed as a demountable sculpture to be installed at the ME Dubai,' says the architect. It will be 'precision engineered as a pre-stressed aluminum shell of minimum thickness.' Once reinstalled, the architect hopes the piece will continue 'to explore the relationships between fluid and Cartesian, solid and void, surface and structure inherent within the hotel's design.'
The 100-room hotel - located within Omniyat's striking Hadid-designed Opus building in Dubai's up-and-coming Bur Khalifa District - will include four penthouse suites with private roof terraces (extending ME London's design stamp) and a Michelin-star restaurant, all furnished by the architect. 'We are very excited that this spectacular piece of public art will launch ME Dubai,' Mr Escarrer, CEO of Meliá Hotels International explained. 'The ME brand is centered on culture and design and this continues our series of renowned collaborative partnerships following the launch of Foster + Partners' ME London last year.'
We're destined to get quite used to sleeping under Hadid's curvaceous designs, given that her next hotel project, Macau's 'City of Dreams' hotel tower, will open soon after the ME Dubai in early 2017.
The project has been commissioned by ME by Meliá Hotels International in celebration of the 2016 launch of the group's Hadid-designed ME Dubai hotel
Built to withstand relocation, the suspended piece will later migrate to Hadid's UAE hotel project, taking up permanent residence within the 5-star property's sculptural surrounds. This rendering depicts the hotel's vertical café
The 100-room property will be located within the striking Opus building in Dubai's up-and-coming Bur Khalifa District
This rendering showcases the hotel's curvaceous reception
The property will include four penthouse suites with private roof terraces and a Michelin-star restaurant - all furnished by the architect
The hotel's south entrance will be dominated by a suspended, transparent installation
The view from the atrium podium will depict a landscape of Hadid's signature curved forms