Case Study: Zaha Hadid Architects achieves a lightweight, structurally sound concrete shell for Lima’s MALI with Altair HyperWorks

Giving Wings to a Structurally Sound, Lightweight Contemporary Art Department as an Extension to a Museum in Lima

Zaha Hadid Architects entered a competition to design a new contemporary wing for the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI) and needed to create an inviting, shell-like entrance that was both visually striking and structurally efficient. To explore many design alternatives and prove the concept could be made lightweight and buildable, the firm turned to Altair and its HyperWorks suite as an early-stage design and simulation tool.

Using Altair HyperWorks’ topology optimization and advanced visualization, Zaha Hadid Architects iteratively explored hundreds of design variants, removed unnecessary material, and produced a structurally sound, lightweight concrete shell with high aesthetic quality. Altair’s tools accelerated the workflow, enabled clear high‑resolution presentations, and delivered improved structural performance and material efficiency for the MALI proposal.

Zaha Hadid Architects

Henry Louth

Senior Designer