Everything Flows: Zaha Hadid Design at Roca London Gallery

The exhibition is being staged to celebrate a decade of working in the building that ZHA designed for Roca in 2011. Located at Imperial Wharf near London’s Chelsea Harbour, the gallery’s form is based on water, central to Roca’s business and reflecting their sustainability commitments to people and planet. Hadid herself described the role of water in the building, saying: “it acts as a transformer, moving without interruption through the façade, carving the interior and flowing through the main gallery as drops of water”. Zaha Hadid. The sculptural spaces of the striking 1,100m2 gallery will become the site for an immersive installation of ZHD’s portfolio of pioneering designs, from fashion and jewellery, to home accessories and furniture, carpets and lighting. First time UK exhibits include a new furniture range made in collaboration with Japanese high tech brand Karimoku and jewellery designed for Tateossian. Woody Yao and Maha Kutay, co-directors of ZHD, say: “What we have learned from Zaha — the integrity of her design process at any scale, the way she shared knowledge with the team, her bold curiosity toward new discoveries and her exhilarating creativity — are the foundations on which ZHD builds.“ They add, “We strongly believe in collaboration; we see it as a catalyst for inventiveness through the exchange of ideas, talent and expertise from every party involved in the design process. It is important to always engage with partners, collaborators, and clients who share the same approach and are never afraid to experiment and innovate – each in their respective fields.” The collaborative output is well represented in the exhibition, including furniture developed with David Gill Gallery; lighting for Slamp and Lasvit; shoes designed for United Nude and Lacoste; jewellery made for Bulgari and Tateossian; and crystal bowls and vases designed for Lalique. The objects date back to the founding of the design practice in 2006 and are brought up to the present day with the installation of the 2022 collection of elegant wooden furniture made with Japanese brand Karimoku. Cultural Programme Manager at Roca London Gallery, Saoirse Walsh, 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.” Admission is free and there’s no need to book.