Zaha Hadid – from Vitra to the Olympic Stadium

The announcement has been made and Tokyo is the winner of the bid to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and with it the confirmation that Zaha Hadid Architects will create the brand new national stadium of Japan that will act as a venue for sporting events, as well as the opening ceremonies and closure.

2013 also marks the 20th anniversary of Zaha Hadid’s first public building commission – the Vitra Fire Station on the Vitra Campus at Weil am Rhein. The Fire Station consists of spaces for fire engines, showers and changing rooms for the firemen as well as a conference room and a kitchenette. Although Vitra decided to disband its fire brigade a few years later, the building is still used for events and exhibitions held by the Vitra Design Museum.
The sculpture-like building was cast in concrete on site. Positioned alongside the angular features of the neighbouring production facilities, it has the effect of a frozen explosion. Its lack of colour and right angles provides visitors with an unusual spatial experience.