Roca London Gallery is celebrating its tenth anniversary, and with it, launches a special exhibition of works by its author, the late, great Dame Zaha Hadid and Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). The show, ‘Everything Flows’, which opens this week and will run to the end of 2022, is a thorough exploration showcasing key objects developed by Zaha Hadid Design (ZHD), the practice's product design arm, over the last 15 years. It is a fitting, festive display that honours the legacy of the British-Iraqi architect's work before her untimely death in 2016, and the studio's designs and development beyond – a Roca anniversary to remember.
Located at Imperial Wharf near London’s Chelsea Harbour, the gallery’s form is based on water, ZHA explains. This feels appropriate given that Roca’s core business is in sanitaryware products, but also follows ZHA's signature approach that often stands out for its flowing shapes, seamless design and mesmerising, sweeping curves. It is a sculptural environment with a strong identity, which makes it a fitting context for an exhibition on the studio's work in product design too – there is fashion and jewellery, home accessories, furniture, fabrics and lighting.
‘Everything Flows: Zaha Hadid Design at Roca London Gallery’
‘In our view, the project was – and still is – truly innovative in terms of design as well as in its materiality, both internally and externally. The space appears seamlessly “carved” by water; a versatile and flexible environment, apt to accommodate a diverse array of events, exhibitions, business meetings and presentations, while also functioning as an office and a showroom which perfectly embody the essence of the Roca brand,' say Maha Kutay and Woody Yao, co-directors of ZHD.
They continue: ‘For us, the meaning of this anniversary is reflected in the title we have chosen for the exhibition: indeed everything flows and nothing remains the same, we see it as a constant evolution, and thus we must evolve and adapt accordingly. We must always remember where we are coming from as well as which are the values informing our path, but we should not indulge in nostalgia, yet look ahead with renewed motivation, positivity and faith in the future.'
The exhibits include products shown in the UK for the first time, such as a new furniture range made in collaboration with Japanese brand Karimoku and jewellery designed for Tateossian. Saoirse Walsh, cultural programme manager at Roca London Gallery, says: ‘It has always felt like a deep privilege to work within the unique, organic spaces of our Zaha Hadid gallery. We instantly became, and remain, a landmark destination on architecture and design lovers’ maps. ZHA and ZHD are constantly pushing the boundaries of material and form and this exhibition will help reaffirm just how radical an innovator Zaha Hadid was and how her ideas and spirit live on through her practice.'
INFORMATION
‘Everything Flows: Zaha Hadid Design at Roca London Gallery’, 24 May – 22 December 2022
-
Thomas Heatherwick revamps his New York flagship for Longchamp – 20 years after he first designed itWith punches of green, the world-renowned designer revisits an early touchstone of his oeuvre
-
Morgan Supersport is a four-wheeled magnum opus for serious enthusiasts – we tried itAuthenticity, engagement and more creature comforts than ever before – meet the new Morgan Supersport, a masterly synthesis of minimalist detail and classic style
-
Comedy, history and traditional portraiture combine in Oliver Osborne's exhibitions in London and New YorkWhat does it mean to freeze time? Oliver Osborne seeks the answer in paintings of his three sons
-
Innovative coastal garden turns heads at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower ShowLandscape Designer Nigel Dunnett’s ‘Hospitalfield Arts Garden’ at Chelsea Flower Show 2025 has been making waves with its progressive approach to sustainable landscape and planting design
-
What to see at the London Festival of Architecture 2025June is all about the London Festival of Architecture 2025; we browsed the over 450-event rich programme for its highlights, so you won't have to
-
V&A East Storehouse is a new London museum, but not as you know itDesigned by DS+R, the V&A East Storehouse immerses visitors in history as objects of all scales mesmerise, seemingly ‘floating’ in all directions
-
Zaha Hadid Architects’ spaceship-like Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum is now openLast week, ZHA announced the opening of its latest project: a museum in Shenzhen, China, dedicated to the power of technological advancements. It was only fitting, therefore, that the building design should embrace innovation
-
Timeless yet daring, this Marylebone penthouse 'floats' on top of a grand London buildingA Marylebone penthouse near Regent’s Park by design studio Wendover is transformed into a light-filled family home
-
Revamped National Gallery Sainsbury Wing unveiled: Annabelle Selldorf gives us a tourThe National Gallery Sainsbury Wing redesign by Selldorf Architects is ready to open its doors to the public in London; we took the tour
-
Wild sauna, anyone? The ultimate guide to exploring deep heat in the UK outdoors‘Wild Sauna’, a new book exploring the finest outdoor establishments for the ultimate deep-heat experience in the UK, has hit the shelves; we find out more about the growing trend
-
A new London house delights in robust brutalist detailing and diffused lightLondon's House in a Walled Garden by Henley Halebrown was designed to dovetail in its historic context
