Zaha Hadid, one of the most prominent people in the field of architecture, died at the age of 65 after a heart attack. The Baghdad-born architect was a pioneer in conceptual, neo-futuristic architecture design, having worked with Rem Koolhaas before starting her own firm in 1979. Hadid was the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004, and she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2012 for her contributions to the area of architecture; nevertheless, her work went much beyond structures. She worked with Chanel and Louis Vuitton on fashion projects, designed for the Serpentine Gallery and Georg Jensen, and even developed stage sets for the Pet Shop Boys’ global tour in 1999. But, like her design for the main stadium at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, a lot of the residential and commercial developments she envisioned never came to fruition because they were deemed too challenging or expensive from an engineering standpoint.
She leaves an incomparable legacy, particularly for women in the traditionally male-dominated field of architecture. She also leaves a new New York skyscraper, the High Line condos at 520 West 28th Street, to look forward to later this year. As we remember Zaha Hadid, take a look back at some of her most cherished works, which have been preserved as monuments to her brilliant vision.
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Zaha Hadid: A Genius Architect
Early biography of Zaha Hadid
Anyone who has driven past the London Olympic Aquatic Center has seen Zaha Hadid’s signature style. The British architect, who was born in Iraq, is noted for being a rare woman on a male-dominated stage. To mention a few of her honors, she received a Royal Gold Medal for architecture, the first in the 167-year history of the prize, and two Stirling Prizes.
Zaha Hadid’s style emerged early in her career, while she was planning a famous design for Hong Kong’s The Peak. It was to be a horizontal, deconstructed skyscraper that would turn heads in the architectural world. Unfortunately, the concept – like most of her bold concepts from the 1980s and early 1990s, such as the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin and the Düsseldorf Art and Media Center – was never realized. They were deemed too avant-garde to be taken beyond sketches, and she earned the moniker “paper architect” as a result.
Later works by Zaha Hadid
Her public structures are frequently described as dynamic, as if they were a still shot from a movie. Zaha Hadid’s style is characterized by powerful lines with expressive curves, at times brutalist in nature. The Vitra Fire Station was her first commissioned design, completed in 1994, and was quickly followed by the geometric shape of the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati and the alien-esque concrete building of the Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg, Germany. The Evelyn Grace Academy in Brixton, which won her the 2011 Stirling Prize, and the dynamically expressive Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan, are two recent projects.
Her firm, which was founded in 2006, has a diverse portfolio that includes accessories, jewelry, interiors, exhibitions, and set design in addition to architecture. She’s also designed limited-edition furniture for a really luxurious lifestyle, such as the popular Le-a Table, which was made in conjunction with Zaha Hadid Design and Leblon Delienne. Princess Leia’s distinctive hairstyle in the Star Wars film franchise inspired the sculptural fiberglass coffee table.
The design philosophy of Zaha Hadid
Hadid has remarked that her architectural projects are not meant to be a personal statement or a form of self-indulgence. Rather, Zaha Hadid’s style and inventions are built around tackling 21st-century issues and opportunities.
“Architecture must contribute to society’s progress and, eventually, to our individual and collective wellbeing,” she claimed. The structures created by her vision and the collective creativity of her firm, Zaha Hadid Architects, may appear fantastical, victorious, and even a little loud at times, yet they all come from architecture’s primary function: to facilitate and even perform daily life.
With loud ideas to pedestrianized broad swaths of London, a plan aimed at alleviating concerns such as pollution and road safety, this successful architect is a polarizing character. Zaha Hadid Architects’ plans for two soaring skyscrapers in Vauxhall have been met with both resistance and support.
Zaha Hadid’s style is rightly globally recognized, and she has attained legendary status since her death in March 2016. Whether it’s for her more controversial designs, her unrealized dreams, or her masterpieces that have come to fruition, Zaha Hadid’s style is rightly globally recognized, and she has attained legendary status since her death in March 2016. We’ll go through some of her most well-known works in greater depth in the sections that follow.
In Hamburg, following in the footsteps of Zaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid’s design at Hamburg’s hometown of Engel & Völkers stayed true to her motto “form follows function” once again. The Elbe’s flowing harbor promenade, with its numerous staircases and resting spots, serves as a rest area as well as flood protection. The promenade, with its characteristic steps curving down the waterfront, is expected to be finished in 2019. Much of the area is currently open to the public, providing residents and visitors alike with the ideal opportunity for a leisurely stroll. The expansive vista of Hamburg’s world-famous port that the freely designed promenade provides is particularly striking.
The Opus in Dubai by Zaha Hadid
The Opus in Dubai is Zaha Hadid’s final major project. This building, which is located in the opulent Burj Khalifa neighborhood, houses a hotel, many restaurants, office space, and numerous luxury residences. The structure, which was dedicated after the architect’s death, is yet another example of the architect’s distinctive form language. The Opus is separated into two glass towers that have the same flowing curves as the rest of her work. The two parts of the building are connected by a steel and glass bridge. The Middle East Architect Award for Excellence in Design and Creative Diligence was given to this project in the category Leisure & Hospitality Project of the Year 2017 in 2017.
Zaha Hadid’s unmistakable sweeping shapes have left an indelible mark on the architectural world, whether in Dubai, London, or Hamburg. Although the architect’s work will not be built again, it is reassuring to know that her work will be saved for future generations. As a result, the master architect will undoubtedly inspire many new architects to follow in her footsteps after her death.
Death
Hadid died of a heart attack in 2016 while being treated for bronchitis. She had made the decision not to start a family of her own and was completely focused on her work. She stated, “When it comes to my single-mindedness,” “You’re no good if [architecture] doesn’t kill you… you have to devote your entire life to it. You can’t afford to go in and out of the game.” Her professional devotion has been called “narcissistic” by others, including journalist Harry Mount. He penned, “Except for a curving sofa, a swooping table, and a futuristic tea set, her flat was devoid of furniture. There were few signs of enjoyable human activity: no books, no CDs.” Others claim that by putting her heart and soul into her work, Hadid shattered prejudices about Muslim women and pushed others to do the same.
When asked if she was happy being unmarried by journalist Simon Hattenstone in 2010, Hadid said, “This is not how I consider it. Life is full of surprises.” Hadid’s long-term creative partner Schumacher was probably the closest she came to a committed relationship. Their relationship has been described as “complicated” but “close.” For example, architect Peter Cook, a friend of Hadid’s, stated, “[Hadid] was never one to criticize Patrik, but she was aware that some of his actions were not to her liking. But, because she was semi-in love with him, she let him do it.” Nonetheless, any reports of a romantic relationship between them have been debunked, including a myth that they married in 2005.
The artist Brian Clarke and Conservative peer (and former chairman of the Serpentine Gallery) Lord Palumbo were the only non-family beneficiaries of Hadid’s will, which she entrusted to him, her niece Rana, and her good friends, the artist Brian Clarke and the Conservative peer (and former chairman of the Serpentine Gallery) Lord Palumbo, to carry out. The four’s relationship has deteriorated since Schumacher’s comments in 2016 arguing for the abolition of social housing and the construction of a skyscraper over London’s Hyde Park. Schumacher attempted to get sole control of Hadid’s estate in 2018. Since the architect’s death, he has led Zaha Hadid Architects, which has 36 incomplete projects in 21 countries.
Hadid was also in the midst of talks with curator Hans Ulrich Obrist on a show of her paintings at the time of her death. The curator recalls seeing him in her personal sketchbooks a year before “They resembled doodles, yet all of her structures appeared to emerge from the flow of these loose sketches… was very personal. They were kept in her room. I was enthralled and eager to learn more.” The exhibition ‘Zaha Hadid: There Should Be No End to Experimentation’, which took place at the Serpentine Gallery in 2017, was named after. According to Obrist, “she wasn’t simply a wonderful architect, she was a terrific artist.”
Zaha Hadid Architects continues to carry on her legacy of creating transformative spaces today. What are your thoughts about this? Comment down! Thanks for watching.
