Architects of Inbo in the final of the open ideas Competition for the Washington Monument Grounds in Washington D.C., USA.

Jacques Prins, Kevin Battarbee and Egidijus Kasakaitis, architects of the Dutch multidisciplinary office Inbo, have proceeded to the third and final round with their proposal "Monument of Unity". The task given to competitors by the competition committee chaired by the AIA focused on "how to redesign the area around the Monument, to make it ready for the 21st century".

Washington Monument, render courtesy Inbo

The sequence of spaces leads to the Monument towering above the agora, render courtesy Inbo

View outward to the Lincoln memorial, render courtesy Inbo

The proposal of Jacques, Kevin and Egidijus consists of a large sky-lit space encircling the base of the Monument, in which a museum space and amenities are accommodated. By revealing and displaying the foundations of the Monument, currently hidden inside the mound, layers of history are revealed and the monument presents itself from a new perspective.

Evolution of the obelisk - retaining its iconic presence, drawing courtesy Inbo

The new interventions are embedded into the existing landscaping, drawing courtesy Inbo

Interplay of direct and indirect light in the exhibition and museum spaces, drawing courtesy Inbo

The Monument remains a singular entity at the crossing of the visual axes, drawing courtesy Inbo

The new agora forms part of a spatial sequence leading to and from the Monument, drawing courtesy Inbo

The main theme and inspiration of the design is the person and legacy of George Washington, symbolized by a Farewell Address quote on the circular perimeter wall:

independence, peace at home and abroad, safety, prosperity, and liberty are all dependent upon the unity between the states.

The ring-shaped museum space encircles the agora, render courtesy Inbo

The area around the Washington Monument, the pivotal point of the Washington Mall, has been subject to many plans in the past century, none of which came past the design stage. Due to the increasing number of visitors and the need for improved visitor safety, revision of the Monument grounds once again found its place on the public agenda. Out of more than 500 initial entries ‘Monument of Unity’ was chosen as one of the six finalists. Public voting will decide which of the remaining six will be ultimately declared the winner.

+ Architect: Inbo

+ All images and drawings courtesy Inbo

Zaha Hadid, two times winner of the Stirling Prize, celebrates the launch of her third London project, the Roca London Gallery

• The design proposal from the Zaha Hadid Architects‘ studio successfully transforms what was once an ordinary space to an exciting new dimension in interiors.
• Zaha Hadid‘s inspiration was elemental water in all its forms and the result is a spectacular and influential space in the heart of London’s Chelsea Harbour.

Roca London Gallery, image courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid Architects and Roca are delighted to announce the opening of a brand new flagship space, the Roca London Gallery, at Imperial Wharf close to Chelsea Harbour. Zaha Hadid Architects were commissioned to create this unique concept which takes its inspiration from the power of water as a transforming element and which will bring the Roca London Gallery to life.

Roca London Gallery, image courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid and her team have created a design that is not just purely visual, it also uses the art of precision and control to help the visitor understand the relationship between the architecture of the space and the design of Roca bathroom products.

Miguel Angel Munar, Senior Managing Director, Roca Bathroom Products Division commented:

For Roca it is essential to have a presence in a city like London which is a benchmark for design and innovation on a global level. London is also of strategic importance to our future business development since it allows us to be close to our top international distributors and clients. At the Roca London Gallery, Zaha Hadid has perfectly interpreted all our brand values as well as our company philosophy in a singularly exciting and tangible way.

Roca London Gallery, image courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid elaborates:

Our work imbues architecture with the intricacy and beauty of natural forms. Using a formal language derived from the movement of water, the Roca London Gallery has been eroded and polished by fluidity; generating a sequence of dynamic spaces carved from this fascinating interplay between architecture and nature.

The Roca London Gallery consists of a single floor measuring 1,100m2, where, as the Zaha Hadid studio intended, it appears that water has sculptured and defined each and every detail of the space.

Roca’s commitment to design and innovation is clearly visible in the exterior of the building with its distinctive and unique façade which gives the Roca London Gallery its identity. Three almost organic portals which appear to have been shaped by water erosion open up this space to the city.

Roca London Gallery, image courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

The movement of water is the overriding theme in the Roca London Gallery – flowing and merging exterior and interior spaces. The interior is sculptured white concrete and its state of the art lighting connects each of the different areas whilst serving as a central axis around which the Roca London Gallery revolves.

Roca London Gallery, image courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

The interior is fabulous, functional and flexible, featuring cutting-edge, modern, audiovisual, sound and lighting equipment. This technology provides interaction with the brand and the opportunity to discover the company’s history, its landmark achievements and the values on which all of Roca’s work is based: the commitment to sustainability and particularly to innovation, design, wellness and saving water.

Roca London Gallery, image courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

The Roca London Gallery is intended to be much more than just a display space. Available to an extensive audience that will include everyone from design-savvy architects to design-hungry students, it will become a London hub hosting a wide range of activities such as exhibitions produced in-house or externally, meetings, presentations, seminars and debates, the criteria being a celebration of design in keeping with the Roca brand and company values.

Roca London Gallery - Floor plan, drawing courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

Roca London Gallery - Elevations, drawing courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

+ About the Roca Galleries

The Roca Galleries represent an investment in the brand on a global scale, with the aim of creating unique spaces facilitating social and cultural encounters in the cities that play host to them. The Roca London Gallery joins the elite Roca Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon Galleries.

For a multinational company of Roca’s stature, the creation and inauguration of these spectacular venues is a source of great pride. At the same time it allows the brand to convey its significance and values to a wider society, as well as providing the opportunity to communicate and highlight its ever-growing list of industrial and cultural achievements.

+ About Roca

Roca is dedicated to the design, production, sales and marketing of bathroom products as well as ceramic wall and floor tiles for the architecture, building and interior design sectors. The company employs over 20,200 people, has 72 production plants and is active in more than 135 countries spread across 5 continents.

As world leader in the definition of the bathroom space, Roca works closely with prestigious designers, architects and interior designers such as Moneo, Chipperfield, Herzog & de Meuron, Benedito, Giugiaro and Schmidt & Lackner, to name just a few. Through constant research and development, Roca promotes initiatives which help protect the environment. This commitment is reflected in the continuous development of new products designed to reduce water consumption.

+ About Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004 and is internationally known for both her theoretical and academic work. Each of her dynamic and innovative projects builds on over thirty years of revolutionary experimentation and research in the inter-related fields of urbanism, architecture and design. Her work transforms our vision of the future with new spatial concepts and bold, visionary forms.

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) is a global leader in pioneering research and design investigation. Collaborations with corporations that lead their industries have increased the practice’s diversity and knowledge, while the implementation of advanced design and manufacturing technologies have aided the realization of Hadid’s innovative architectural concepts. Working at all scales and in all sectors, ZHA creates transformative spaces in synchronicity with their surroundings.
Hadid’s outstanding contribution to the architectural profession continues to be acknowledged by the world’s most respected institutions. In 2009, she received the “Praemium Imperiale? from the Japan Art Association, and in 2010 Time magazine included Hadid in their list of the “100 Most Influential People in the World”. For the past two years, the RIBA have awarded Hadid their highest accolade, the Stirling Prize.

+ All images and drawings courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects