Zaha Hadid: A Deconstructivism Movement

DECONSTRUCTIVISM

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, to construct is to build, make or create something. The opposite of this action is to deconstruct. In architecture, this word evolved to “Deconstructivism” – a movement that emerged from the postmodernism era at the end of the 1980’s. This means it definitely goes against the limits given in modernism in terms of forms, materials and functionality. Just like the meaning of deconstruction itself, the structures in this movement are known to be chaotic, messy and explosive as if they are being fragmented but somehow still maintained as a structure. This movement was recognized by some of the world’s most famous architects – Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Bernard Tschumi.

Even though he

The Vitra Fire Station was her first project that was recognized by an international audience. She designed a fire station for Vitra after a major fire destroyed a major part of Vitra premises. This building, ofcourse, wasn’t the typical functional fire station. Today the building is used for exhibitions and special events. It was designed such that it developed from an outer edge of its garden area where it accentuates the space rather than filling it up. The long and narrow shape of its slick roof pitch helped in giving the strong sense of direction and dynamism. This dynamic form creates a state of tension which gives the visitor a sense of instability and unpredictability. The theme of instability is intensitified by the horizontal planes slipping over one another which constantly creates The building lacks detail but maintains its look with the consistency of material, which is concrete, throughout the building itself and its surrounding. The excessive use of concrete doesn’t allow viewers to look into the building except when these concrete planes move apart to create limited visual accessibility. Her interiors, in all her buildings including this one, are always as complex and daring as the exterior – with forms, shapes, illusions and materials. Something that Hadid usually

His famous “Parc de la Villette” in France is a public park structure designed based on culture rather than the typical parks surrounded by nature. Unlike the usual architectural structures of this movement, this one isn’t exactly labelled as a building but rather, “points”. It is, however, a large single structure even though it is discontinuous. The points stimulate a movement around the park through a system of red steel follies representing different activities or cultures. The significance of this park comes from the mystery it gives its visitors. He provides a discovery experience and that is hard to explain and understand unless it is physically explored because of its expression of culture. The site has 10 differently themed gardens spread out throughout the large site and each themed garden gives the user different experiences to explore and of course,