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Handmade in Himalayan wools and silks, the new rug collections by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) convey the intricate craftsmanship of ILLULIAN’s all-natural materials and weaving process together with the manipulation of perspective, form and space within ZHA’s architecture.
When invited to design the collections, ZHA explored the materiality of ILLULIAN’s rugs. Interwoven threads of silk create a sheen that interacts with the matte of the Himalayan wool to generate dynamic interplays that alter with changing light conditions and viewpoints. Minute differences in thickness also express a hierarchy between design elements.
The resulting collections have evolved from ZHA’s architectural research and practice, as well as their investigations into the materials and manufacturing process of ILLULIAN’s handmade rugs.
The ‘Natural Field’ collection re-interprets the journey of the Himalayan wool and silk – from raw fibre to spun thread and woven rug – a process undertaken by skilled artisans. ILLULIAN describes this metamorphosis as transforming ‘a chaotic agglomerate of fibres into pure art’. ZHA’s designs emerge from this adaptation, manifesting as a series of patterns that emulate dense, undulating networks evident in nature.
The ‘Architectural’ collection employs multiple stretched perspectives, exploring the physicality of the weaving process – knotting, pushing, pulling, stretching – to ultimately define each composition. The designs articulate these perspectives and incorporate relief to enhance the illusion of three-dimensionality.
Conceived within the framework of ‘Natural’ and ‘Architectural’, these new collections convey a conceptual affinity between ILLULIAN and Zaha Hadid Architects’ oeuvres.
