Travelling exhibition pavilion for Chanel

Jun 13th, 2007

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This design for a mobile exhibition venue for fashion brand Chanel was launched in Venice last week during the Art Biennale opening weekend.

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Venice was also the venue for Hadid’s Dune Formations installation.

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Below is some info about the Chanel project from Zaha’s office:

Exhibition Pavilion for Chanel

Zaha Hadid Architects_June 2007

The form of the Chanel Pavilion is a celebration of the iconic work of Chanel, unmistakeable for its smooth layering of exquisite details that together create an elegant, cohesive whole. The resulting structure is very much tied to that original inspiration—elegant, functional, and versatile both in its overall structure and detail.

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The architectural structure of the Pavilion is a series of continuous arch-shaped elements, with a courtyard in its central space. The glazed ceiling adjusts to allow for control of the interior temperature in response to the particular climate conditions of each venue city.

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Natural light descending from seven elements on the ceiling, meets artificial light pushed up from gap between the walls and raised floor to emphasize the “arched� structure, and assists in the creation of a new artificial landscape for art installations. Six of these elements are roof lights for artworks; another large opening dramatically floods the entrance in daylight to blur the relationship between interior and exterior. In addition to the lighting and colour effects, the spatial rhythm created by the seams of each segment gives strong perspective views throughout the interior.

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The size of the Pavilion will be 29m x 45m, a total of 700sqm. The overall height is 6m, with the floor raised 1.00m above the existing ground surface. In light of the extensive shipping between cities, each structural segment will be a maximum of 2,25m wide.

The 65sqm central courtyard has large transparent openings to the sky above and is designed to host events as well as provide an area for reflection after visiting the exhibition. The courtyard serves as an intermediate space between the exhibition and a public area of the Pavilion. A 25sqm cloakroom is also provided.

With a direct visual connection to the courtyard, the 128sqm terrace continues this dialogue between the Pavilion’s exterior and interior. During an event, the two spaces could be linked to become one large event zone.

Reflective materials allow the exterior skin to be illuminated with varying colours which can be tailored to the differing programmes of special events in each city.

The dichotomy between the powerful sculptural mass of the Chanel Pavilion’s structure and the lightness of its envelope create a bold and enigmatic element. The Pavilion’s exterior develops into a rich variety of interior spaces that maximize the potential to reuse and rethink space due to the innate flexibility of its plan.

The total fluidity of the Chanel Pavilion’s curvilinear geometries is an obvious continuation of Hadid’s 30-years of exploration and research into systems of continuous transformations and smooth transitions. With this repertoire of morphology, Zaha Hadid is able to translate the ephemeral typology of a pavilion into the sensual forms required for this celebration of Chanel’s cultural importance.

23 Responses

  1. edgar gonzalez Says:

    is there any info,when is this going to be build?

  2. Rob Dawg Says:

    The producers of the abysmal 1998 movie “Lost In Space” should sue for copyright against the spacecraft “Jupiter II.”

  3. avartist Says:

    Qué preciosidad!
    Enhorabuena por el blog!

  4. A-MINIMAL Says:

    OBJECT???

  5. ieva b. Says:

    please comment if it would be build and when, thanks

  6. Marcus Fairs Says:

    Hi Edgar and Ieva, I’m checking on this for you but I think the pavilion will be built in the next year or so.

  7. Edwin Ushiro Says:

    Simply magnificent!

  8. Marcus Fairs Says:

    Apparently the pavilion will launch in Hong Kong in January.

  9. shamim Says:

    hi very very good

  10. Eric H. Says:

    Will there be more detailed information about this magnificent project?
    I am really looking forward to it!

  11. steve clark Says:

    the pavilion will be opening in HK in jan 2008 and touring world cities. It is currently being built.

  12. Scotti Ross Says:

    Hello,
    My name is Scotti Ross and I work for Clear Magazine. We have a circulation of one hundred thousand in twenty-seven different countries. We are in need of some hi-res photos of the pavillion for our publication. Please send them to dan@clearmag.com and be sure to include the photo credits.
    Thank you so much,
    Scotti Ross

  13. Alice Says:

    Very useful idea! Temporary expositions can be set anywhere in the planet now! What MATERIALS it is going to be made of?

  14. Edwin Says:

    It is being made of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composite material - specifically, glass fibre reinforced polyester.

  15. marios paschalis Says:

    design…

  16. Sissi Says:

    Bonjour.
    I am an editor at “Modern Times” at Life Channel of Beijing Television, China. We are the top fashion & lifestyle programme in mainland China. I am very intrested in this project, and would like to cover the opening in Hong Kong, and if possible, the finale in Paris. If you wish to include some media coverage across China, please contact via e-mail (jeans4crystal@hotmail.com).
    Thank you.

  17. ROSE_B Says:

    This kind of project should emphasize total revenue for the years to come…

    Zaha Hadid’s mobile pavilion is uktra futuristic, functional and and should inspire ‘designers’ of today for the benifit of tomorrow.

  18. Hara Bourgani Says:

    Hello,
    in the context of an article we are doing at the Greek edition of ELLE, I would like to have some high analysis photos of Chanel pavilion. I would appreciate if I received them by tomorrow.
    Best,
    Hara Bourgani, tel. 00306972338754

  19. Aumi Says:

    I Love it

  20. Ben Says:

    Hi,

    this looks awesome! I read somewhere there are some ETFE cushions. I’d like to know more about that, who could I contact to get info on this?

    Thanks

  21. Elisa Says:

    Hi, I’m preparing an article to be published on a Italian magazine - Fashion Vip magazine - and would like to receive pictures of the pavillion for our publication. please incluse credits. thanks do much, elisazancanella@yahoo.it

  22. Ivan Says:

    Hi, my name is disman-kl, i like your site and i ll be back ;)

  23. kA cook Says:

    am corinne from HK.
    this is so cool!
    looking forward to see the real thing.
    the teaser program just started and should be here very soon!
    corinne