Soft black concrete

The Zaha Hadid Building is built with facade and roof as one cohesive progression; one half down towards the park as a gentle movement and the other half with the main entrance as a contrasting, more angular form. It has been cast in black lava concrete which renders the surface with a picturesque textile resemblance which changes according with the weather and wind.

The casting process took place on site and it was extremely complicated. Large casting moulds were erected to make the curved walls, which both bend up towards the roof and in under the floor. The walls were built from two concrete shells with insulation between them. Casting the shells was by pushing the black, self-compacting lava concrete into the moulds from below.The casting process was made even more complicated by the fact that the walls of the building are not identical; each has its own unique geometry.