Crest

Crest was commissioned by ME by Meliá Hotels International, Hadid's client for a hotel under construction in Dubai. After the completion of the festival, the demountable aluminum piece will be shipped to Dubai where it will become a permanent part of the ME Dubai Hotel. Relatively simple compared with Hadid's recent buildings, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect says of the installation: "Crest explores the relationship between surface and structure, transforming the planar water surface of the V&A’s courtyard’s pool into a curvilinear form, creating a compelling interplay with light and reflection. This experimental sculpture tests the limits and possibilities for a new construction technique involving the assembly of aluminum panels into a pre-stressed flat plate which is then lifted into a self-supporting structure."