Renown architect Zaha Hadid has warned of the impact that strict migration controls in the UK could have on the future of building design in London.
At the UK launch of her first commission for a residential scheme in New York City, a high-end complex in West Chelsea, the Iraqi-born British starchitect said London’s constantly evolving cityscape could be forestalled if visa restrictions were too tight.
“I worry about these visa problems because what happens is people come to London from everywhere and they bring something with them, and when British people travel and come back, they bring something back with them also,” she said.
Commenting on the changes she had seen in London over the past two decades, she said: “The level of urbanism which has spread out is phenomenal. In the 1990s all the corner branches of the banks were taken over by bars and restaurants, so social behaviour and social interaction has changed a lot.
“I don’t think New York has the same intensity,” she added.
Pritzker and Stirling prizewinner Hadid has put her stamp on New York with a 39-apartment scheme by Related Companies at 520 West 28th Street, located on the High Line, a city park built on an historic rail freight line.
The High Line is distinguished by its perennial display of contemporary art and installations, and the work of several notable architects feature on schemes along its west side, including The Shard architect Renzo Piano and Frank Gehry.
The apartments, released for sale this month, range in price from just under $4.95m for 1,691 sq ft to $5m for a 6,618 sq ft five-bedroom penthouse.
The scheme has a distinctive curved, hand-rubbed metal façade and the only private IMAX theatre in the city, which seats 12 people.
It also features a 2,500 sq ft outdoor sculpture deck with a signature artwork in a nod to its creative surrounds.
