Zaha Hadid

Visual Arts

Zaha Hadid WORKS FROM THE FUTURE

Her works are to be found across the globe and arouse feelings of wonder and amazement. A woman of inimitable style who won all of the most important awards in her industry over the course of her career, and who, in 2008, Time magazine chose as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Her name was Zaha Hadid and she is universally acknowledged as the queen of architecture.

Born in Baghdad in 1950, she became a naturalized British citizen and after studying mathematics at university she moved to London to join the prestigious Architectural Association School of Architecture. Here she met her tutors and future colleagues, Rem Kookhaas and Elia Zenghelis, who took her on in their architectural studio, OMA, after her graduation. In 1979 she started working for herself and set up Zaha Hadid Architects, which then became one of the most important studios in the world.

Regarded as one of the main exponents of Deconstructivism, she was remembered later, according to The Guardian, as ‘The Queen of Curves’. The reason is easy to understand for anyone who stands in front of one of her works.

Amongst the many awards she received was the Pritzker Prize, the first woman to do so, in 2004; she was made a Dame by Elizabeth II for services to architecture and afterwards became the first woman to be awarded the Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

On March 31, 2016, Zaha Hadid passed away following a heart attack. For more than 30 years she designed buildings which have radically influenced modern architecture and will continue to do so in the future.

Thanks to the Zaha Hadid Architects studio for their assistance in producing this article.

London , March 2017