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Tea & Coffee Set, Silverware

  • Milano, Italy
  • 1995 – 1996
  • Sawaya & Moroni, Italy
  • Complete
  • 1st piece, Tea Pot 150 x 280 x 80mm 2nd piece, Coffee Pot 90 x 280 x 100mm 3rd piece, Milk Jug 200 x 90 x 70mm 4th piece, Sugar Bowl 90 x 100 x 70mm

The four-piece silver tea and coffee service is conceived as a table sculpture, but with a form that exploits the interactive nature of its constituent parts. The teapot, coffee pot, milk jar and sugar pot fit together like a three-dimensional puzzle on a discreet tray – the surface of the tray then guides the user through its multiple configurations.

The formal language of the sculpture juxtaposes vertical and horizontal planes; the wide, flat organic form of the teapot contrasting with the slender coffee pot, which rises from the landscape of the table like a tower.

The set changes according to whether or not it is in use, with two primary modes. When the pieces are in static ‘representative mode’, they form a compact structure that can be easily carried. In ‘functional mode’, the template of the tray invites the user to flip and rotate the objects. A section in each shape allows it to slide onto a different axis, exposing openings for pouring and transforming the composition. Teatime becomes a sculptural riddle, as the user manipulates the set’s dynamic parts.

 

Architect

Zaha Hadid Architects

Design

Zaha Hadid

Design Team

Maha Kutay, Anne Save de Beaurecueil