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Insights by Melodie Leung, Director of ZHA
What are the latest exciting projects that you are working on that will come to life in the near future?
Completing soon, The Henderson, creates an urban oasis in the centre of Hong Kong by sheltering new civic plazas. The 36-storey tower will be a striking addition to the city skyline with a 4-ply, double laminated insulated glass façade which has been designed to provide the highest thermal performance and withstand the region’s powerful summer typhoons. The building incorporates numerous state of the art design features such as a smart management system which creates a contactless pathway for occupants, air quality monitoring systems, and a Sky Garden outdoor recreational space with aquaponics planting network that acts as a biological air-purifying filter.
Please mention some of your latest projects/ achievements as a firm
This month, the Romeo Roma Hotel in Italy opened, part of The Romeo Collection. The hotel is a conversion of Palazzo Capponi with its core dating from the 16th century, including wings added by the previous tenants INAIL in 1950s, remodelling its interiors when converting to offices. With little original interiors remaining, the client continued tradition custodians of Italy’s grand buildings have followed for centuries—commissioning pioneering architect Zaha Hadid and her team at ZHA to create captivating interiors showcasing the expertise of skilled craftsmen working in the finest materials.
The Riyadh Metro opened in December 2024 and the King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station by ZHA serves as the key interchange on the network. Contributing to the identity of Riyadh’s new metro system, the KAFD Metro Station’s design prioritizes connectivity. The station’s predicted rail, car and pedestrian traffic has been modelled, mapped and structured to optimize internal circulation and avoid congestion. Achieving LEED Gold certification, the station provides optimal comfort at minimum energy demand, combining effective passive design features with a high-efficiency cooling system that is powered by renewables.
Zhuhai Jinwan Civic Art Centre Photography by Virgile Simon Bertrand
Designed as a creative hub within one of the world’s most dynamic regions, the Zhuhai Jinwan Civic Art Centre integrates three distinct cultural institutions for the city; a Performing Arts Centre with a 1200-seat Grand Theatre and a 500-seat Black Box theatre; a Science Centre; and an Art Museum. Each venue within the centre incorporates unique characteristics, yet all are united by formal and structural logic. The latticed steel canopies sheltering each venue are configured through repetition, symmetry and scale variation, optimising pre-fabrication, pre-assembly and modular construction. The centre’s landscaping and lake are integral elements of Zhuhai’s ‘sponge city’ initiative that targets the natural permeation, storage and re-use of 70% of the city’s rainwater using aquatic flora to naturally filter contaminants. Located in southern China’s subtropical climate, the double-insulated glazing of the building’s envelope is optimised for thermal performance and protected by the roof canopy which incorporates perforated aluminium panels for solar shading.
Zhuhai Jinwan Civic Art Centre Photography by Virgile Simon Bertrand
Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard unveil a fresh perspective on bathroom design for 2025
Access our submissions link, criteria, deadlines, and checklist here.
Soft pastels, natural materials and artistic craftmanship take centre stage at Villa Miraé
Here are the bold and statement pieces that caught our eye this month
Tucked away in the Andalusian countryside near Gaucín, a small town located between Marbella and Gibraltar, Cortijo Genesis in Spain has recently been renovated by Victoria-Maria Geyer
Interior designer Juliette Spencer of Atelier RO revives a storied pre-war apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with an elegant fusion of New York structure and French soul.
Designed by Barcelona-based studio El Equipo Creativo, the newly renovated Kimpton Los Monteros hotel in Marbella, Spain is deeply inspired by Marbella’s rich landscape and cultural heritage.
Roar has recently designed a new office for a global consulting firm that boldly reimagines the UAE's landscapes and cultural heritage into a workplace
“No one does colour quite like Caroline Stanbury,” shares Kate Instone, Founder and Creative Director of Blush International
The Zaha Hadid Foundation partners with the American University of Beirut to support the next generation of architectural talent.
The Foster + Partners designed striking museum will honour the Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
identity hosted a roundtable and workshop in honour of Emirati Women's Day in collaboration with Casamia