For its 57th issue, Visionaire draws inspiration from the Smart Fortwo car.

Beijing, home to some of the most grand and experimental architecture over the past 5 years, is set to add another unique building to its landscape. Chaoyangmen SOHO III is designed by Zaha Hadid and located in the upscale SOHO area of east Beijing.
The buildings inside the 334,000 square meter space are inspired by the traditional Chinese courtyard design with an open area surrounded by a building that envelops the visitor in a 360 degree manner. The uniquely fluid design has no hard corners or angles, which is a sharp contrast from the Soviet-style buildings common to Beijing.

[via Daily Tonic]

The Manchester Art Gallery in the north of England has recently opened its Zaha Hadid designed concert hall. This temporary pavilion seats just 192 people it has been created to host just nine evening concerts by pianist Piotr Anderszewski, cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras and violinist Alina Ibragimova plus free lunchtime recitals by students at Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music.

The anticipated collaboration between architect Zaha Hadid and sportswear brand Lacoste has finally taken shape, and it doesn’t disappoint. The shoes, rubberized structures that wrap around the leg (angle high for men and calf high for women) are as conceptual and beautiful as Hadid’s architectural creations themselves.
[via WWD - subscription req'd]

Brazilian shoe brand Melissa has recently released in Milan, Italy, its newest model: Melissa + Zaha Hadid, a collaborative effort between the brand and the famous architect. The design of the sandal captivated Carla Sozzani, 10 Corso Como’s creative mind and a passionate art and design collector. 10 Corso Como, a unique mix of selling spaces grouped around a beautiful courtyard, is one of the most renowned concept stores in Milan. The 13.000 square-foot complex gathers everything from books and clothing to art, design and luxury goods. For the launch of the sandal, the store’s interior was completely remodeled: a [...]

We’ve seen Zaha Hadid and her design team bring their whimsical space age aesthetic to buildings and products, now they’ve channeled their talents towards the simple household fixture – the tap. The team have not only applied their design for Triflow taps but also added some technology. This tap has two openings controlled by touch button – one for filtered and one for unfiltered.
Triflow
[ viaDVICE]