Zaha Hadid Architects Unveil Metaverse with Emphasis on Design

Credit: ZHA

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), a London-based architectural firm, has partnered with ArchAgenda, a Chicago-based company, to introduce a brand-new metaverse platform. The “Metrotopia” metaverse is the first virtual hub dedicated to the world’s architecture and design community.

The metaverse launched on May 18th, 2023, with the opening of a virtual Venice Architecture Biennale exhibition called “Knowledge Transfer,” featuring works from the world’s most renown architecture studios, including Archi-Union, LAVA, UnStudio, CAP, OMA, Morphosis, ZHA, and EcoLogic Studio.

Metrotopia is a virtual segment of the Architecture Biennale, and is part of CityX — a group of virtual pavilions hovering above Venice displaying work from architecture teachers all over the world. There is also an event called “Students as Researchers” by the New York Institute of Technology, which takes place at a physical location in Venice.

The theme for the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale is “The Laboratory of the Future,” and it runs from May 20th – Nov 26th. Besides its debut at the event, Metrotopia is expected to contribute to the Chicago Architecture Biennial this year.

Metrotopia is a multiplayer virtual world created with Unreal Engine 5, featuring spatial sound that enables realistic communication in lifelike virtual setting. The platform is hosted by MytaVerse, and brings together all design disciplines — including architecture, urban design, product design, fashion design, graphic design, furniture design, and more. It will also serves as a place for design-related events, galleries, conferences, and exhibitions.

Its first building was designed by ZHA. But in the future, more architects and interior designers will be invited to come together to create a vibrant virtual city for the design community.

Patrick Schumacher, the principal of ZHA, said that they had invited leading design firms and studios to “feature their most future-oriented work inside Metrotopia.” He added that he believes the metaverse “will take off with everybody onboarding soon enough.” And that “Metrotopia stands ready to anticipate and embrace this moment.”

Metaverses Continue to Grow Despite Bear Market

A metaverse dedicated to architecture and design is a novel idea, and one that could prove to be beneficial for that community. But it certainly isn’t the only metaverse to pop up in a niche market. As time goes on, we’re seeing more and more metaverses arrive to the Web3 space, and many are focused on particularly objectives or areas of expertise.

Here’s just a taste of some of what we’ve seen in recent months:

Industrial

  • $21M Raised for Worlds Industrial Metaverse

Automobiles

Gaming

E-commerce

Finance

  • World Economic Forum to Launch Own Metaverse


This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to new metaverses. It turns out, being able to communicate and interact in increasingly lifelike virtual spaces isn’t only fun as a social activity, it’s useful for a myriad of industries in a myriad of ways.

At Rarity Sniper, we’ll be checking in on Metrotopia every now and again to see how it’s doing. But considering the reach and influence of the global design community and the technological advantages that could come from communicating in a virtual space, we think there’s a good chance it will be a success.