zaha hadid: serac bench for lab 23

‘serac bench’ by zaha hadid

image © jacopo spilimbergoimages courtesy of zaha hadid architects

for milan design week 2013, zaha hadid has paired up with product designers and planners at lab 23 to develop a series of urban sculptures for seating and resting. the fluid curves of the ‘serac bench’ bench appropriate the formal language of ice formations, while the sinuous strata recall the layered lines of intersecting glacial crevasses. the object meets the ground at the crest of two sweeping curves that envelope a stepped void. the tectonic choice of resin quartz, a durable engineered stone, allows the filler crystals to refract light and create a shimmering depth. the piece is part of an ongoing collaboration that partners environmentally friendly materials with street furniture and dynamic designers.

dance performance at the inaugural event at lab 23image © tortona design week

zaha hadid and patrick schumacher at the inaugural event at lab 23image © tortona design week

zaha hadid image © tortona design week

a composition of multiple benches

image © jacopo spilimbergo

layered grooves give way to sleek surfaces

image © jacopo spilimbergo

the sculptural form characteristically plays with solid and void

image © jacopo spilimbergo

shapes are informed by ice formations in glacial crevasses

image © jacopo spilimbergo

curve detailimage © jacopo spilimbergo