Zaha Hadid. - Contemporary Arts Center

In construction
Zaha Hadid
Contemporary Arts Center
Cincinnati, Ohio

Computer image courtesy CAC

On May 24th ground was broken for the Rosenthal Center; the first freestanding home of the CAC, the Contemporary Arts Center, an internationally recognized arts institution founded in 1939 When completed in 2003, the 85,000 square feet, $34.1 million Rosenthal Center will be the first American building designed by Baghdad born, British-based architect Zaha Hadid, who in 1998 was awarded First Prize in the International competition.

“Hadid understands contemporary art and is excited about it. She has created spaces that heighten our engagement with art-spaces, that let energy flow back and forth between the city and the museum, spaces that give artists something to push against”.
Charles Desmarais
Director Contemporary Arts Center

In the program elements for the CAC Hadid talks about an “Urban Carpet”; a continuous surface between the street outside and the wall inside.“A sense of movement will be sweeping into the building from the square......you move your body on a journey though the building...”

Computer image courtesy ICA/Aedes gallery

The ground curves slowly upward as it enters the building, rising to become the back wall. As it rises and turns, this “Urban Carpet” leads visitors up a suspended mezzanine ramp through the full length of the lobby, which during the day functions as an open, daylit, “landscape” expanse that reads as an artificial park. The ramp continues to rise until it penetrates the back wall, on the other side of which it becomes a landing at the entrance of the galleries.
The galleries are expressed as if they had been carved from a single block of concrete and were floating over the lobby space. Exhibition spaces vary in size and shape, to accomodate the great range of scales and materials in contemporary art.
Views into the gallery in the circulation system are unpredictable as the stair ramp zig-zags upward through a narrow slit at the back of the building.

Computer image courtesy CAC

The building's corner location led to the development of two different, but complementary, facades.
The south facade, along Sixth Street, forms an undulating, translucent skin, through which passersby see into the life of the Center. Offices, organized along this side to provide daylit working environments and views of the city, provide the facade with human animation.

Computer image courtesy CAC

Program elements read as distinct linear volumes of concrete, glass, and metal panels. The east facade, along Walnut, is expressed as a sculptural relief. It provides an imprint, in negative, of the gallery interiors.

Image of the CAC from the touring Zaha Hadid Exhibition.

Hadid is renowned for her futuristic architectural paintings and drawings created during the production phase.

Hadid has also been awarded First Prize in the International competitions for The Center for Contemporary Art and Architecture in Rome and the Science Center in Wolfsburg, Germany.
The current ICA Touring Zaha Hadid Exhibition focuses on the three museums.

Photo courtesy CAC
Hadid on the screen at the jammed groundbreaking ceremony in Cincinnati.

When asked in an interview what attracted her most about the project of designing The Contemporary Arts Center Zaha Hadid said to Charles Desmarais, Director of the CAC:
“What is exciting about The Contemporary Arts Center project is the degree of unpredictability it involves. Unpredictability was actually a part of the mandate we were given. The Center has forgone a permanent collection in favor of various types of temporary exhibitions. There is no way to know in advance what kind of art these changing exhibitions will include. Today's artwork can vary from urban-scale objects to the intimate experience of video. Of course, all institutions that show contemporary art have to confront this challenge. But the Center is unique in that it has faced up to the challenge from the start, in the program it gave us. That attitude is critical. It should be manifesting the design of the new Center”.

Read the full interview

Inauguration
Contemporary Arts Center

Zaha Hadid arcspace features





				Features
		In construction Zaha Hadid Contemporary Arts Center Cincinnati, Ohio Computer image courtesy CAC On May 24th ground was broken for the Rosenthal Center; the first freestanding home of the CAC, the Contemporary Arts Center, an internationally recognized arts institution founded in 1939 When completed in 2003, the 85,000 square feet, $34.1 million Rosenthal Center will be the first American building designed by Baghdad born, British-based architect Zaha Hadid, who in 1998 was awarded First Prize in the International competition. “Hadid understands contemporary art and is excited about it. She has created spaces that heighten our engagement with art-spaces, that let energy flow back and forth between the city and the museum, spaces that give artists something to push against”. Charles Desmarais Director Contemporary Arts Center In the program elements for the CAC Hadid talks about an “Urban Carpet”; a continuous surface between the street outside and the wall inside.“A sense of movement will be sweeping into the building from the square......you move your body on a journey though the building...” Computer image courtesy ICA/Aedes gallery The ground curves slowly upward as it enters the building, rising to become the back wall. As it rises and turns, this “Urban Carpet” leads visitors up a suspended mezzanine ramp through the full length of the lobby, which during the day functions as an open, daylit, “landscape” expanse that reads as an artificial park. The ramp continues to rise until it penetrates the back wall, on the other side of which it becomes a landing at the entrance of the galleries. The galleries are expressed as if they had been carved from a single block of concrete and were floating over the lobby space. Exhibition spaces vary in size and shape, to accomodate the great range of scales and materials in contemporary art. Views into the gallery in the circulation system are unpredictable as the stair ramp zig-zags upward through a narrow slit at the back of the building. Computer image courtesy CAC The building's corner location led to the development of two different, but complementary, facades. The south facade, along Sixth Street, forms an undulating, translucent skin, through which passersby see into the life of the Center. Offices, organized along this side to provide daylit working environments and views of the city, provide the facade with human animation. Computer image courtesy CAC Program elements read as distinct linear volumes of concrete, glass, and metal panels. The east facade, along Walnut, is expressed as a sculptural relief. It provides an imprint, in negative, of the gallery interiors. Image of the CAC from the touring Zaha Hadid Exhibition. Hadid is renowned for her futuristic architectural paintings and drawings created during the production phase. Hadid has also been awarded First Prize in the International competitions for The Center for Contemporary Art and Architecture in Rome and the Science Center in Wolfsburg, Germany. The current ICA Touring Zaha Hadid Exhibition focuses on the three museums. Photo courtesy CAC Hadid on the screen at the jammed groundbreaking ceremony in Cincinnati. When asked in an interview what attracted her most about the project of designing The Contemporary Arts Center Zaha Hadid said to Charles Desmarais, Director of the CAC: “What is exciting about The Contemporary Arts Center project is the degree of unpredictability it involves. Unpredictability was actually a part of the mandate we were given. The Center has forgone a permanent collection in favor of various types of temporary exhibitions. There is no way to know in advance what kind of art these changing exhibitions will include. Today's artwork can vary from urban-scale objects to the intimate experience of video. Of course, all institutions that show contemporary art have to confront this challenge. But the Center is unique in that it has faced up to the challenge from the start, in the program it gave us. That attitude is critical. It should be manifesting the design of the new Center”. Read the full interview Inauguration Contemporary Arts Center Zaha Hadid arcspace features