zaha hadid architects integrates curvilinear façade in melbourne landscape

zaha hadid architects, inspired by the australian landscape and seascape, has designed the mayfair residential tower for the city of melbourne, australia. the iconic zaha hadid style combined with the location of the site, has enabled the architects to create a fluid form facade while simultaneously integrating sweeping balconies that bridge the gap between interior and exterior spaces.

zaha hadid architects designs melbourne apartment building to embrace the site’s city view
image by VA courtesy of zaha hadid architects

the building’s close proximity to the royal botanic garden, port phillip bay, and albert park create sweeping views that balance elements of the natural landscapes and urban development.‘the façade’s composition has evolved from a system of simple wave formations that is further developed to generate variables of the same design language,’ the architects describe. ‘using algorithms to determine these variables enables the façade to adapt to the wide variety of different apartment layouts and also adapt to the irregular site.’

large balconies provide a bridge between the private interiors and the surrounding city
image by VA courtesy of zaha hadid architects

after studying the site closely and determining the architectural geometries of the building, zaha hadid architects used an optimizing algorithm to identify shape similarities in the façade. this process lead to more cost effective measures to achieve the desired, complex design by minimizing the number of different façade panels. the interior contains 158 private residences and community amenities such as rooftop seating, lounge areas, and swimming pools. the ground floor not only contains the lobby, but also double-height spaces for a public restaurant-café. fully integrated into the melbourne landscape, the design adds another element to the city’s growing success as one of the world’s most livable cities.

the living areas are arranged in a distinct sequence to maximize views of the city
image by VA courtesy of zaha hadid architects

the architects used an optimizing algorithm to minimize the number of required façade panels
image by mrpstudios courtesy of zaha hadid architects

the fluid motion of the facade is also reflected in the interior
image by mrpstudios courtesy of zaha hadid architects

the design enhances the site’s views of the royal botanical gardens, port phillip’s bay, and albert park
image by mrpstudios courtesy of zaha hadid architects

the building is close to melbourne’s central business district with prominent views of the skyline
image by mir. courtesy of zaha hadid architects

without careful calculation and cost saving measures, the sculpted façade would have been cost prohibitive
image by mrpstudios courtesy of zaha hadid architects

melbourne has become one of the ‘world’s most livable cities’
image by VA courtesy of zaha hadid architects

project info:

architect: zaha hadid architects (ZHA)

design: zaha hadid and patrik schumacher (ZHA)

ZHA project director: michele pasca di magliano

ZHA project architects: stefano paiocchi (ARCH.), daniel fiser (ID)

ZHA project team: marina martinez, luca ruggeri, anat stern, roberta sartori, sam mcheileh, alejandro diaz, nhan vo, michael sims, maria echeverri, raquel arauco ordas, kate revyakina, michael rogers, flavia santos, daniel coley, natasha gill, ashwanth govindaraji, arian hakimi nejad, jose castaneda, afsoon eshaghi, alessandra catello, millie anderson, arya safavi, hee seung lee, johannes elias, juan camilo mogollon, julia hyoun hee na, manuele gaioni

ZHA competition team: gianluca racana, michele pasca di magliano, ludovico lombardi, daniel fiser, luca ruggeri, julia hyoun hee na, hee seung lee, nhan vo, sobitha ravinchandran, adam twigger, rafael contreras, annarita papeschi, mohammadali mirzaei, kostantinos psomas

local architect: elenberg fraser

structural & civil engineering: webber design

building services engineering: murchie consulting

town planner: SJB

quantity surveyor: WT partnership

facade consultant: BG and E

wind engineering: MEL consultants

traffic engineer: traffix

building surveyor: PLP building surveyors and consultants

fire engineer: umow lai

lighting: ndylight

engineering services: inhabit group