Amanda Millin

March 20, 2014

Pritzker-winning architect Zaha Hadid has teamed up with France’s 126-year-old crystal manufacturer Lalique—a unique juxtaposition of avant-garde and tradition—to create Crystal Architecture, a striking collection of vases in two shapes and two colors. 

The slender, tower-like Visio vase and its shorter, thicker counterpart, Manifesto, pair Lalique’s simple elegance with Hadid’s signature exploration of fluidity and transparency—concepts that can be seen in her 40-some finished projects around the world including the undulating London Aquatics Centre from the 2012 Olympic Games and the tiered, wave-like Guangzhou Opera House in China. 

Launched in January, the Crystal Architecture vases create a sense of movement with twisting contoured lines, while contrasting satin and polished finishes and smooth and ribbed textures play with opacity. Visio and Manifesto are available in black and clear crystal and range in price from $20,000 to $23,000 apiece. 
(www.lalique.com)