Melissa Shoes, 2008. Zaha Hadid (Iraqi, b. 1950). Mold injected plastic. Black: Women’s Size 6: 9 in, Purple: Women’s Size 9: 10 in. Black and purple. Made by Grendene S.A., Farroupilha, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Photography courtesy of David Grandorge.

It’s not breaking news, but Zaha Hadid has an exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, called Zaha Hadid: Form in Motion. The exhibition, which is Hadid’s first in the U.S. dedicated solely to her design work, opened September 20th and will run through March 25th. The exhibition has been completely designed and fabricated to Hadid’s specifications; from custom vinyl flooring that swerve and “woosh” in undulating patterns to walls that look as if they have been subjected to the sculpting affects of wind and rain. Read on.

Zaha Hadid: Form In Motion at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Image © Paul Warchol.

“Form in Motion” is a clear indication that Hadid takes designing smaller, everyday items as seriously as she does architecture. The perceived divide between the two practices proves illusory, as it’s made evident that the one actively informs the other. The hive-like, webbed shapes of the Mesa table, for example, are repeated in Hadid’s design for the Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre, while it turns out the Crevasse series of vases actually originated as an entry for an exhibit of “visionary” architectural designs for ground zero which would have been displayed at the Eighth International Biennale of Architecture in Venice in 2002.

WMF Flatware (5 piece), 2007. Zaha Hadid (Iraqi, b. 1950). Stainless steel. Dinner Fork: 8 3/4 in, Salad Fork: 6 5/8 in, Dinner Knife: 9 1/8 in, Teaspoon: 5 7/8 in, Soup Spoon: 8 7/8 in. Made by Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik AG, Geislingen, Germany. Photography courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects.

IMAGE 2: Lacoste Shoes, 2008. Zaha Hadid (Iraqi, b. 1950). Leather, rubber. Various sizes. All colors. Made by Lacoste S.A., Paris, France. Photography courtesy of Lacoste.

In any event, the work on display showcases Hadid’s ability to work across many platforms to realize her design vision. Other works include a prototype for a car, several outlandish shoe designs, flatware, chandeliers, and jewelry. The exhibition is being sponsored by Collab, a volunteer committee that is “dedicated to enriching the Museum’s collections with outstanding examples of mass-produced and unique designs” and which honored Hadid with its 2011 Design Excellence Award. If you’re curious as to what Gesamtkuntswerk a la Hadid feels like, then you had best make the trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to experience it firsthand.

Zaha Hadid: Form In Motion at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Image © Paul Warchol.

Zaha Hadid: Form In Motion at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Image © Paul Warchol.