Moby Slams Zaha Hadid’s Architecture

Moby had an upsetting experience in a hotel designed by Hadid.

Moby at The Humane Society of the United States' to the Rescue Gala, 2016. Photo Angela Weiss / Stringer/ GETTY IMAGES

Musician, photographer, and general oddity Moby has spoken out on what he considers to be the late Zaha Hadid’s uncomfortable designs, calling them “not designed for humans.”

While talking about his LA-based vegan restaurant, Little Pine, to CLAD, Moby volunteered his impressions from a recent stay at an unnamed hotel in Madrid designed by Hadid.

“Literally sleeping in a dumpster would have been more comfortable,” he stated, before expressing his disdain for high-profile professionals, “who think about stuff that can be photographed well, but who never actually plan on spending time in the spaces they create.”

While Moby has no issue with how the building looked, he felt the interior wasn’t meant for human habitation.

“It looked amazing, but was the least comfortable space I’ve ever inhabited,” he railed. “There was nothing soft in there. Everything was moulded plastic, which photographed nicely but wasn’t designed for humans.”

Zaha Hadid #zahahadid #heydaraliyevcenter #bakuPhoto: Instagram/@simondepury

Zaha Hadid, Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku. Photo: Instagram/@simondepury

While sitting in his Silverlake eatery, the world-famous electronic maestro voiced his view on architecture which should favor physical comfort over design aesthetics.

“I have an issue with architects and designers who think about how is the space going to look when it’s on an architecture website, rather than how it’s going to feel for the people who either live there, work there or patronize it,” he explained.

“Sometimes certain things like comfort are not that photogenic, and if you’ve ever tried to live in a photogenic space that isn’t comfortable, it can be really upsetting,” he added.

Hadid, who passed away unexpectedly earlier this year, is thought of as one of the most important architects of her time and was the first woman to be awarded the prestigious RIBA Gold Medal in her own right.


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