Il Makiage pavilion | Zaha Hadid Architects

Il Makiage’s proprietary formulations are the foundation of an 800-piece makeup collection created with uncompromising attention to detail.

“The brand’s distinctive DNA celebrates intelligent, strong, confident women. We spent the last five years developing products that would live up to her high standards.” explains Oran Holtzman, the company’s co-founder and CEO.

Il Makiage has launched the collection with a pavilion by Zaha Hadid Architects that is informed by the label’s characteristically bold graphic identity.

The pavilion’s structure reinterprets the distinctive motif that wraps around the corner of all Il Makiage’s packaging.

A sequence of folded black and white structural ribbons generate a powerful rhythm of contrasts along the length of the pavilion. Each ribbon is rotated slightly to have a fractionally different relationship with those adjacent.

The dynamism of this rotation engages perception and invites exploration within; creating a distinctly personal space, owned by each visitor on their path of investigation through the pavilion.

With alternating gloss and matt surfaces that are a further reference to Il Makiage’s characteristic packaging, the structural ribbons interlace to describe a sheltered interior for visitors to experience the collection.

“We wanted to create an environment defined by the women celebrated by Il Makiage,” said Kar-Hwa Ho, Zaha Hadid Architects head of interiors. “A personal space that’s all about her, to select and apply her makeup.”

Lighting installed below alternate structural ribbons and at the periphery of each mirror ensures an accurate evaluation of the many colours, tones and shades within the collection. 

Zaha Hadid Architects is developing the designs for permanent Il Makiage boutiques in New York City, Washington D.C. and Miami.

Project Team
Architect/ Designer: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)
ZHA Project Director: Patrik Schumacher
ZHA Project Leader: Kar-Hwa Ho
ZHA Project Team: Olga Yatsyuk, Torsten Broeder, Maren Klasing

Collaborator: Ishai Breslauer, Arnon Nir / AR Studio

Graphic Design: Nurit Koniak, Natasha Boguslavsky/ Studio Koniak
Lighting: Gerardo Olvera/ LightIQ

Fabricator: Idee and Design the Art Factory

Architect of Record: Heitler Houstoun Architects