Skip to main content

Capital Hill Residence is the Only Home Ever Designed by Zaha Hadid

capital hill residence zaha hadid
Image used with permission by copyright holder

There is no denying the genius that was Zaha Hadid. Her untimely passing in 2016 left a gaping hole in the architecture world. With the ability to create buildings that defied gravity — sometimes physics  she left her unique stamp on the world in the countless public and commercial buildings she designed.

Recommended Videos

But she was no residential architect, which makes Capital Hill Residence so special. Plus, the thing looks like a spaceship, which is just so badass.

When plans to develop a commercial space together fell through, Russian businessman Vladislav Doronin did not give up on his dream to work with Zaha Hadid. He was able to convince the architect to design his private residence, located in the Barvikha Forest near Moscow. Dubbed the Capital Hill Residence, the home stands out not just for the signature Hadid swoops in the roof-line, but for the 70-foot tall tower in the center.

Insisting that his master suite have an above-the-treeline view, Doronin presented Hadid with a challenge: how to keep the main living spaces at ground level, while giving her client the view he so desired. The answer was that looming tower in the center of the home.

The remainder of the home is spread out among three ground-floor levels that step down to follow the slope of the land. On the highest level is the entrance, library, children’s space, and guest suite. Stepping down a floor, there is the living room, kitchen, and a pool. At the very back of the home, moving down yet one more level, is the “leisure” area.

The inside of the home continues the “spaceship” style with undulating walls, swooping arched doorways, and white walls and ceilings that create a futuristic feel. The unique shapes of the rooms required that all of the furniture for the home be custom made, so although the project was built long before Hadid passed away, it was only recently that Doronin finally put the finishing touches in place. The result is a home Hadid had referred to as perfect for a “Russian James Bond.” But we think it’s better suited for a “Russian Captain Kirk.”

If all the soft angles in this house doesn’t appeal, check out a few Brutalist offerings to engage your straight-edged interests.

Kelsey Machado
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kelsey is a professional interior designer with over a decade of experience in the design field. With a passion for…
Jeremy Allen White was born to run in the first trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
The movie follows Springsteen as he makes his album 'Nebraska.'
Jeremy Allen White in Deliver Me From Nowhere

Music biopics are all the rage these days, and Bruce Springsteen is the latest icon to get the treatment. The first trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere sees The Bear star inhabiting the role of The Boss. The film is based on Warren's Zane's book of the same name, which focuses on the period when he was making his 1982 album Nebraska.

The film is directed by Scott Cooper, who also directed Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. In the trailer, we see White embodying Springsteen as he sings "Born to Run," and we also get a lengthy monologue from Jeremy Strong's Jon Landau as he explains why Springsteen feels the need to make this album.

Read more
Tony Soprano vs. Walter White: Who is the ultimate antihero?
TV's biggest heavyweights duke it out for the antihero crown
Breaking bad season 4 screen shot

Sports fans often debate between two heavyweight legends. For basketball, it's LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Switching to tennis, you have Roger Federer fans and Rafael Nadal diehards. Debates like these are ingrained in the culture of athletics, but TV fans have their own version of this sparring match.

Tony Soprano from The Sopranos and Walter White from Breaking Bad are the two characters who still send shockwaves through every drama in the 21st century. These men were the perfect mix of good and evil. They navigated family life and the criminal underworld with cunning intelligence and ruthless risk-taking. Every show with morally gray characters at the center owes its storyboard to Walter and Tony, but which character deserves the antihero crown? This is Tony Soprano vs. Walter White for all the marbles.
Who was the more complex character?

Read more
Learn how to smoke a pipe the proper way with our guide for beginners
Let us show you the classy way to smoke a pipe
Packing a pipe

Pipe smoking is the most aesthetically distinguished way to enjoy tobacco, but you lose the classy effect if you don’t know how to smoke a pipe properly. Smoking a pipe has become a lost art, and these days, most people who engage in pipe smoking do so to achieve a sense of nostalgia. Perhaps your grandfather enjoyed a puff now and again paired with a good stiff whiskey, or maybe your goal is to emulate a pipe-smoking artist.

I know that I enjoy a good puff on a pipe now and then, and knowing the right way to enjoy a pipe has made the experience much more pleasurable for for me. Whatever the case, if you intend to take up the time-honored tradition of unwinding with a pipe like me, you should learn how to smoke a pipe the right way. And smoking a pipe is very different than smoking a cigar (except you shouldn't be inhaling either).

Read more