Zaha Hadid Architects withdraws from Architects Declare

Breaking news: UK studio Zaha Hadid Architects has withdrawn from climate action network Architects Declare a day after fellow founding signatory Foster + Partners left the group.

Zaha Hadid Architects made the decision to follow Foster + Partners in leaving Architects Declare, which was founded in 2019, due to "a significant difference of opinion" with the steering group that leads it.

"Regrettably, we are withdrawing from Architects Declare," said a statement from Zaha Hadid Architects.

"As a founding signatory, we agreed to continue and accelerate our work towards progressive change in our built environment," it continued.

"However, today we need to recognise that we have a significant difference of opinion with the Architects Declare steering group on how positive change can be delivered."

Steering group determined "absolute interpretation of the coalition's commitments"

The decision to leave the climate change network follows growing tension between the studio and Architects Declare's steering group, which is made up of 11 architects, engineers and communication professionals working for UK architecture studios.

Last week, in response to comments made by Zaha Hadid Architects' principal Patrik Schumacher, Architects Declare's steering group told Dezeen that its aims were being "undermined by a few practices" that were "clearly contravening" their climate pledges.

The studio's move appears to be in response to these comments.

"For us how change is delivered requires discussion, cooperation and collaboration, and this must be debated without condemnation," said the statement.

"Architects Declare’s steering group has unilaterally decided on its own precise and absolute interpretation of the coalition’s commitments," it continued. "By doing so, we believe they are setting the profession up for failure. Redefining these commitments without engagement undermines the coalition and trust."

Two founding signatories leave Architects Declare

Over the past year, Zaha Hadid Architects and Foster + Partners, two of the 17 founding signatories of Architects Declare, have been criticised for working on aviation projects.

Zaha Hadid Architects was criticised for designing Western Sydney International Airport, while Foster + Partners' decision to design an airport for a luxury resort in Saudi Arabia led Architects Climate Action Network, another group that advocates more radical climate action, to call on the studio to withdraw from the project or from Architects Declare.

This division over working on airport projects led Foster + Partners to leave Architects Declare yesterday, with studio founder Norman Foster saying: "agriculture and aviation are not going to go away and they will both need the most sustainable buildings to serve them together with the architects who can most responsibly design them."

Since its foundation, the UK branch of Architects Declare has gained over 1,000 signatories, while its international sister group has almost 6,000 signatories in over 20 countries.

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Chromatic flooring collection by Tsar Carpets

Dezeen Showroom: Australian brand Tsar Carpets has released a collection of textile floor coverings informed by surrealism, in a bid to offer some "otherworldly escapism" during a tumultuous year.

Called Chromatic, it features six carpets with six different patterns from the cubist Neo to Ripple and Lucid, which mimic the fluid lines of flowing water.

Meanwhile, Ember features an abstract print based on dancing flames and Aurora nods to the floating ribbons of the northern lights.

Top image: The Ember pattern nods to dancing flames. Above: 3D artist Joe Mortell rendered the Aurora carpet as part of Tsar Carpet's Fall 2020 campaign

"My objective was to create a visually-intriguing collection that elicits a sense of elation and happiness, offering an aspirational escape from the current state of the world," said Andrew Cenita, a designer in Tsar Carpets' New York studio.

Each design is available in a variety of colour gradients, which can be customised by interior designers to demarcate spaces and even act as wayfinding systems and signposts for social distancing.

Despite their futuristic design, the carpets are made to last even in high-footfall hospitality spaces such as hotels or offices.

Renderings courtesy of Joe Mortell.

Product: Chromatic
Brand: Tsar Carpets
Contact: annie@tsarusa.com

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Neri&Hu embody ethos of "reflective nostalgia" with own architecture studio in Shanghai

Multidisciplinary studio Neri&Hu has converted an office and staff dormitory building in Shanghai into its own architecture and design offices named No 31.

Part of a former industrial complex in Shanghai's Jing'an Temple area, the block is the latest building that Neri&Hu has converted into its own offices as the studio has expanded since it was formed in 2004.

Neri&Hu converted a former dormitory into its own architecture studio

"For us, there is always some value to be found in these urban artefacts that are closely interwoven with the fabric of the city," explained studio founders Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu.

"Even if they seem unremarkable, they bring a sense of continuity that something created from a tabula rasa could not offer," the pair told Dezeen.

"No. 31 is a culmination of many 'obsessions' we've been exploring in our practice since day one. The renovation strategies employed are based on the notion of 'reflective nostalgia', as a way to honour history and heritage without having to recreate it literally."

The studio occupies the building's upper two floors

Neri&Hu aimed to make small interventions in the building to make it useable as an office space for the studio with additional spaces for the wider design community.

On the facade, the studio partially filled in the windows with glass bricks to change its proportions without having to make structural changes. The top half of the building was painted grey, while the ground floor was clad in green glazed tiles.

Concrete columns are exposed throughout the building. Photo is by Tian Fangfang

"The key to any adaptive reuse project is to first assess what is existing," said Neri and Hu. "Like a body scan, you comb through it and identify what elements are healthy and worth preserving."

"What are the smallest manipulations that could be made to have the biggest impact? By cutting a small opening, making a new connection, adding layers of enclosure, the spatial configurations and usage can change dramatically."

A central stair connects the studio's two floors

The building's lowest two floors contain spaces used by Shanghai's wider design community. The ground floor contains an art gallery, furniture stores for Stellar Works and Muuto and a cafe, while the second floor contains a co-working space and the offices of Design Republic – the retail store founded by Neri&Hu's founders.

The third and fourth floor, which contain the architecture, interiors and design studios, were connected by a central staircase.

Throughout the building, the original concrete frame was left bare, with steel and ribbed glass enclosures used to divide up the floor plates and several white box volumes added to house support spaces.

The founders' office has a large window with views over Shanghai

"The addition of a staircase in the centre of the space, between the third and fourth floors, unifies the two floors and reinforces the collaborative energy within the practice," said Neri and Hu.

"We talk about the practice being interdisciplinary and it's demonstrated clearly here through the seamless integration of architecture, interiors, furniture and graphics."

Internal stair with the architecture studio

According to Neri and Hu, designing the building for the studio's use allowed them to experiment with the architecture and continue to develop their ideas over time.

"Designing for ourselves means that the project is a perpetual work-in-progress, in the best sense," said the pair.

"We are constantly adding and expanding – we have recently taken over the canteen in the adjoining building, we are working on the rooftop terrace, and soon hope to expand a mezzanine space on the second floor into a workshop and archival space for the practice."

A cafe is located on the ground floor

"It's a bit of an experimental ground where we can test out concepts and push our own limits," they continued.

"At the same time, the project is not only a consummation of everything we've done thus far, it's also the start of many new beginnings for us, as we continue to grow as a practice."

Recent projects by Neri&Hu include the Junshan Cultural Center near Beijing, Shanghai hotel with floors connected by a dramatic staircase, the Alila Bangsar hotel in Kuala Lumpur and the Aranya Art Center in Qinhuangdao.

Photography is by Hao Chen, unless stated.

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Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2020

Travel may have come to a standstill this year but we still saw the opening of amazing places to stay – as part of our review of 2020, here are Dezeen's top 10 hotels.

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Saint Hotel, Greece, by Kapsimalis Architects

Kapsimalis Architects dug into a rocky hillside in Santorini to create the Saint Hotel's cave-like guest suites, which offer uninterrupted ocean views.

Surfaces throughout the rooms – and a majority of the furnishings – have been rendered white, mimicking the pale facades of the houses which appear along the island's coastline.

Find out more about the Saint Hotel ›

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The Tiing, Bali, by Nic Brunsdon

Rugged concrete walls that were cast against locally-sourced bamboo feature throughout The Tiing, a boutique hotel on Bali's north coast.

Each of its 14 rooms is funnel-shaped, meaning sightlines are steered towards the Balinese jungle in one direction, and to the ocean in the other.

These features ended up landing the hotel first place in the hospitality building category of this year's Dezeen Awards, with judges admiring its "strong connection to the immediate environment".

Find out more about The Tiing ›

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Círculo Mexicano, Mexico, by Ambrosi Etchegaray

The minimalist aesthetic of this hotel in Mexico City draws upon the customs of the Shakers, a Christian sect known for their ultra-austere way of living.

Within each of the white-painted guest suites are just a couple of chunky plinths which support the bed and storage cupboards. Decor is restricted to wall-mounted peg rails, from which trinket boxes, mirrors and light-framed wooden chairs have been suspended.

Find out more about Círculo Mexicano ›

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Canine and Feline Hotel, Portugal, by Raulino Silva Arquitecto

Pet owners headed on holiday can leave their furry four-legged friends in this hotel designed by Raulino Silva Arquitecto, which sits on the site of an old vineyard.

When the cats and dogs aren't roaming the grounds, being pampered in the grooming parlour or taking a dip in the pool, they can retire to their modern bedrooms – which have been designated to separate blocks so that the different species don't annoy each other.

Find out more about the Canine and Feline Hotel ›

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Santa Monica Proper, USA, by Kelly Wearstler

Interior designer Kelly Wearstler says there's "a lot of really great anomaly" throughout the rooms of Santa Monica Proper, which has been decked out with a clashing medley of vintage furnishings.

Many of the details in the hotel – which also has a rooftop restaurant and pool – are meant to reflect California's beachy landscape. This includes the lobby reception desk, which is striated like a shell, and the curved headboards in the guest suites which are reminiscent of a setting sun.

Find out more about Santa Monica Proper ›

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Monte Uzulu, Mexico, by Taller Lu'um and At-te

A dense jungle of trees surrounds this boutique hotel in Oaxaca, which perches up on a sandy hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Architecture studios Taller Lu'um and At-te took advantage of this lush landscape when it came to designing the interiors, where they've applied an array of locally-sourced natural materials. For example, the walls of the guest suites have been washed with earth and lime, while the roof has been thatched with dried palm leaves.

Find out more about Monte Uzulu ›

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Hotel Les Deux Gares, France, by Luke Edward Hall

Luke Edward Hall offered a lesson in maximalism with the boldly clashing interior of Hotel Les Deux Gares, which is meant to be reminiscent of old-world Paris.

Geometric carpeting and stripy headboards feature in the 40 upstairs guest bedrooms, while the downstairs lobby boasts chintzy wallpaper, leopard-print sofas and hand-painted portraits.

"I really wanted this space to feel above all joyful and welcoming and alive, classic but a little bonkers at the same time," said Hall.

Find out more about Hotel Les Deux Gares ›

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Six Senses Shaharut, Israel, by Plesner Architects

The materiality of this hotel in Israel's Negev desert riffs off structures built by the nomadic Nabataean tribe, which settled in the area over 2,000 years ago.

Locally-excavated limestone and flint has been used for the building's exterior, while smooth plaster walls feature inside the guest rooms – some of which include their own private pool.

Find out more about Six Senses Shaharut ›

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Aka Patagonia, Chile, by Larrou

A cluster of six lenga-wood cabins forms this hotel in Puerto Natales, a Chilean port city in southern Patagonia. The front of the cabins are windowless, but the rear elevations are inset with expansive glazed panels so that guests can enjoy views of a nearby canal and fields dotted with grazing sheep.

"Aka Patagonia is a tribute to the landscape," explained Larrou. "The space was designed so that guests can experience the continuous flow of nature, both inside and out."

Find out more about Aka Patagonia ›

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Birch, UK, by Red Deer

An 18th-century mansion in Hertfordshire is now hosting the Birch hotel, where Red Deer has worked to carve out a new concept of luxury.

To avoid the "wastefulness" of high-end hospitality spaces, the design studio left much of the building untouched and preserved almost all of its original decor details – the communal guest areas boast wooden boiserie, ornate ceiling cornicing or time-worn floorboards.

Find out more about Birch ›

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Watch our talk with Thukral and Tagra for Rado Design Week

Dezeen speaks to artists Thukral and Tagra about their upcoming design for Swiss watch brand Rado in the final live panel discussion as part of Rado Design Week. Tune in from 1:00pm London time.

Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs will be joined by the founders behind the art and design practice, Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, to talk about a special edition of the Rado True Square watch that was teased earlier today in a video filmed by Dezeen at the duo's studio in New Delhi.

For their design, Thukral and Tagra are creating a watch face that includes two colourful, intersecting dials that will aim to give a new perspective on telling time.

Thukral and Tagra's watch is in development

"Our inspiration was to feel connected with a lot more time zones and we wanted to bring something unique to the experience of reading time," Thukral said in the video.

The duo's design will also include imagery from their ongoing series of paintings called Dominus Aeries, a series of complex artworks that explore visions of the future interlaced with references to the past.

Based in New Delhi, Thukral and Tagra have been working together for the past 15 years on work including paintings, sculpture and installations that explore identity and globalisation through colourful imagery.

Thukral and Tagra teased their design in a video

Their work has been exhibited at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo and the Asia Pacific Triennial, but this collaboration with Rado will open up their portfolio of work to a whole new audience they explained in the video.

"Rado is an incredibly popular brand in India and the prospect of having our work so intimately close to people here and the rest of the world is promising and fascinating," Tagra said.

Fairs, Thukral and Tagra will also be joined by Rado's CEO Adrian Bosshard and vice president of product development Hakim El Kadiri, who will give an insight into the Rado brand and why it chose to work with the artist duo.

Adrian Bosshard

Joining Rado as CEO in June 2020, Bosshard was previously CEO of Rado's sister brand Certina, a position that he held for 17 years.

Rado Design Week is a week-long collaboration between the Swiss watch brand and Dezeen, which sees the reveal of four unique versions of its True Square timepiece created by a roster of international designers including Thukral&Tagra, Tej Chauhan, Formafantasma and YOY.

Every day throughout the week Dezeen broadcasted a live conversation between Fairs, Bosshard, El Kadiri and one of the designers. The week will conclude with a competition that gives Dezeen readers the chance to win one of the watches from the collection.

The event marks a pivotal moment for Rado, which started out in a workshop in Switzerland's Lengnau district back in 1917. Although the brand often hosts events to launch its new watches, this is its first virtual design week.

You can check out all the videos and live interviews here.

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