One of my favorite architects of all time, Zaha Hadid, also happens to be one of the worlds most top-tier architects, and her rise to fame is not only inspiring, but well-deserved. She takes some of the most basic structures, structures that are not just museums, but things that we actually use in society, and makes them extraordinary. Hadid has been commissioned to redesign, reimagine, and rework Istanbul, which depending on the audience and their understanding of Istanbul, is a daunting task in itself. Istanbul can be figured out by separating the city into three very distinctive areas. When one travels, most want to go to a place that is as rich in history, as it is magical in thought, and Istanbul is such a place. They flourish with its unique architecture, superb cuisine, world-class hammams*, and astounding views.
The project is called the Kartal Pendik Masterplan, which is supposed create a "city within a city", featuring a newly designed business district, high-end residential development, cultural facilities, a marina, and string of luxury boutique hotels. Hadid is responsible for creating a grid-like urban space using calligraphic notions of topography to help interconnect the structures, using lateral lines to stitch together major roads. Hadid's work not only evokes a teasingly transparent modernity in a chaotic world, formulating together an elongated form of circular and curvaceous forms, but also a powerfully geometric perspective that is immediately recognizable. Hadid says, "I don't think that architecture is only about shelter, is only about a very simple enclosure. It should be able to excite you, to calm you, to make you think."
Istanbul is one of those places that is kind of spectacular. I can't say that I have spent a lot of time there, since my trips have consisted of 24-hour jaunts and one one those was during my escape from Paris where I was isolated in the airport, but it is definitely a place that I would love to vacation and really truly experience. There is a sense of coldness to Hadid's work; a type of coldness that is both dramatic and mysterious, but one that always makes you wonder what is around the next corner. Perhaps that is something that she tries to represent with being so futuristic in her designs, but it makes me want to experience this weird type of cold romance with someone that I barely know. Maybe I will visit Istanbul with a stranger. Sometimes people you don't know make the best travel companions.
Coco wears a Zara High Collar Sweater, Brooks Brother White Collared Shirt, Zara High Slit Skirt, Rag & Bone Leather Belt, Zara Zippered Moto Boots, Annabel Lee Shanghai iPad Case, and Calvin Klein Tights.
*This is one of the oldest and most prestigious Hammam bath houses in Istanbul designed by architect Sinan in 1584.