Regium Waterfront project, Italy, by Zaha Hadid

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
The upcoming Maxxi National Modern Art museum in Rome will be the first Italy project by Zaha Hadid to be completed in 2009, but meanwhile the architect has a growing number of ongoing projects all over the country, including a modern art museum in Cagliari, a housing block in Florence and a train station in Naples. Last week, one more was added to the list, when the agreement for the Regium Waterfront project was officially signed at the Italian embassy in London.
See more of plans and renderings of Zaha Hadid's Regium Waterfront project
This new project covers a large strip of the waterfront area of Reggio Calabria and includes not one, but two separate buildings, as well as the landscaping work between them. As the city’s mayor, Dr Giuseppe Scopelliti stated, this will be a project, planned to give a new breath to the whole area: ‘Ever since I was first elected in 2002, I was looking for a project to rejuvenate and regenerate the area. We decided to invest resources in the beautiful seaside kilometre of the harbour, to create a prestigious project, something that would become a icon of Reggio Calabria.’
The complex, realised with private as well as public funding, will consist of two different buildings; a Museum of the Mediterranean History and a multifunctional building for performing arts, including a library, auditoriums, gym, craft workshop areas and a cinema. Keeping its connection with the Reggio Calabria area strong, the museum will be devoted to one of the most famous people coming from the region, Gianni Versace.
‘It is a fantastic, very ambitious project. We really pushed the limits with the design,’ Patrick Schumacher added proudly during the signing ceremony last week, explaining how the design draws inspiration from organic forms, aiming for distinctive shapes, in order to be visible both from the sea and the coast; the complex is set to become one of the region’s most contemporary landmarks.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture Editor at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018) and Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020).
-
Aqui Thami wins Hublot Design Prize 2023
Activist Aqui Thami is recognised by the Hublot Design Prize 2023 for her multidisciplinary practice benefitting the women and girls of Mumbai
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Rosemary is a textural haven and contemporary Moroccan escape
After the devastation of the recent Moroccan earthquake, Rosemary is a miracle not taken lightly; step inside local artist Laurence Leenaert's contemporary riad in Marrakech
By Daven Wu Published
-
Chanel Beauty’s Sylvie Legastelois on creating its most luxurious lipstick yet
As Chanel 31 Le Rouge lipstick launches, Sylvie Legastelois tells us about her 40 years of design for the brand in this exclusive interview
By Mary Cleary Published
-
Roca celebrates Zaha Hadid Design in London
New exhibition celebrates Roca London Gallery's tenth anniversary and the work of Zaha Hadid Design (ZHD)
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
The buildings adding a new dimension to Miami’s skyline
As the Florida city’s architecture boom continues apace, here’s what’s next
By Jessica Klingelfuss Last updated
-
One Thousand Museum by ZHA completes in Miami
Zaha Hadid Architects' debut residential tower in the USA, the glamorous and organic One Thousand Museum in downtown Miami, has just been completed, featuring a range of amenities, as well as bespoke landscaping by specialist Enzo Enea
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Whipped peaks form Zaha Hadid Architects’ Meixihu cultural centre
In Changsha, southern China, Zaha Hadid Architects’ Meixihu cultural centre design features three sculptural structures formed of sweeping organic curves housing a contemporary art museum and two theatres
By SuhYoung Yun Last updated
-
Zaha Hadid Architects carves out riverside promenade and flood barrier for Hamburg
By Harriet Thorpe Last updated
-
Opus Dubai by ZHA places a free-form void into the heart of an abstract cube
By Harriet Thorpe Last updated
-
Zaha Hadid Architects’ Morpheus hotel opens in Macau
By Catherine Shaw Last updated
-
Zaha Hadid Architects’ CityLife Shopping District opens in Milan
By Harriet Thorpe Last updated