London-based architectural ironmongery specialist izé has launched its new collection of bespoke door handles with the design force, Zaha Hadid Design. NEXXA is the newest collaborative venture for izé, adding to their previous collaborations with leading designers like Eric Parry, Sir Kenneth Grange CBE, Sergison Bates, Mark Pimlott and Terence Woodgate. Some of izé’s previous collections of door handles have been exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Design Museum in London, and several of them are featured in the Victoria & Albert Museum's permanent collection. The NEXXA collection’s design ingenuity stems from the handle maintaining a single continuous line, despite turning. The idea for this handle has been incubating since 2006, with Zaha Hadid herself involved in the discussions of this process.

Talking about the time from the inception of the concept to now, Woody Yao, the Co-Director of Zaha Hadid Design (ZHD), says, “The design went through phases to become more functional and more ergonomic. But also, more innovative”.  

Maha Kutay, also the Co-Director at ZHD, expresses how the technological progress that design has made with innovative design software and prototyping tools, particularly 3D printers, gave room for experimentation in form, while also keeping in mind efficiency and ergonomics. Technological ease combined with the process of working with izé’s sculptor and model maker created these remarkable handles.

The NEXXA collection comes in three classic finishes. One of them is a solid rose gold, something which has never been done before for a commercially available door handle and the other finishes are a luxurious satin and a striking polished black titanium. For the vision of what the design wanted to achieve, Yao says, “We looked at how we could make it more innovative and at how we could design a handle in a single continuous line which isn’t broken even if the handle is being turned”.

The concept for these handles comes from a place of treating them more like individual sculptures, and not just another off-the-shelf design. The handle is made into two pieces meeting together with an elbow joint where they had to merge together as well, to create the seamless motion unique to this design. A considerable amount of research went into how the break between the two elements could be used best, keeping in mind izé’s signature is all about the bespoke and the customised.

On the process of collaborating with ZHD, the Sales Director of izé, Bernadett Kaszás, says, “It has been a fascinating process working with Zaha Hadid Design to develop a handle that embodies a new idea in a way that is practical to use and a joy to look at and touch”. Apart from being designed to function well ergonomically, the handles give a superior look with the richly done finishing which makes them appeal to the sense of aesthetics as well. They truly take on the characteristics of a sculpture and add a delicate finesse to any architectural space.

(Text by Shreeparna Chatterjee, editorial trainee at stirworld.com)