New Roca London Gallery

The design proposal from the Zaha Hadid Architects

Roca Gallery London
Two-time Stirling Prize winner Zaha Hadid celebrates the launch of her third London project, the Roca London Gallery

- The design proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects successfully transforms what was once an ordinary space with an exciting new dimension in interiors.

- Zaha Hadid's inspiration was water in all its forms and the result is a spectacular and influential space in the heart of London's Chelsea Harbour.

London, 13 October 2011: Zaha Hadid Architects and Roca are delighted to announce the opening of a brand new flagship space, the Roca London Gallery, at Imperial Wharf near Chelsea Harbour. Zaha Hadid Architects was commissioned to create this unique concept inspired by the power of water as a transformative element, which will lead to the realisation of the Roca London Gallery.

Zaha Hadid and her team have created a design that is not only purely visual, but 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 of Roca Bathroom Products Division commented:

"For Roca it is essential to have a presence in a city like London, which is a global reference point for design and innovation. London is also of strategic importance for our future business development as it allows us to be close to our best international distributors and customers. At the Roca London Gallery, Zaha Hadid has perfectly interpreted all the values of our brand and our corporate philosophy in a singularly exciting and tangible way."

Zaha Hadid:

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

The Roca London Gallery consists of a single floor measuring 1.100 m2, where, as Zaha Hadid's studio intended, it seems as if water has sculpted and defined every single detail of the space.

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

The movement of water is the main theme of the Roca London Gallery: it flows and merges the exterior and interior spaces. The interior is in sculpted white concrete and its cutting-edge lighting connects each of the different areas, while acting as a central axis around which the Roca London Gallery rotates.

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

The Roca London Gallery aims to be much more than just an exhibition space. Open to a wide 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 in-house and externally produced exhibitions, meetings, presentations, seminars and debates, the criteria being a celebration of design in line with the Roca brand and corporate values.

About Roca Galleries

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

For a multinational 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 meaning 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, manufacture, sale and marketing of bathroom products as well as ceramic tiles and coverings for the architecture, construction and interior design sectors. The company employs over 20.200 people, has 72 production plants and is active in more than 135 countries across 5 continents.

As a 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 a few. Through constant research and development.

www.roca.com
www.rocalondonga
www.zaha-hadid.com