زها حديد (Arabic) |Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid (Father: Muhammad al-Hajj Husayn Hadid, an industrialist and politician; Mother: Wajiha al-Sabunji, an artist) (1950–2016), known as the “Queen of the Curve,” was a visionary architect and artist who radically transformed the architectural landscape of the 21st century. She was the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize (2004) and the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Born in Baghdad, Hadid studied mathematics at the American University of Beirut before moving to London in 1972 to attend the Architectural Association School of Architecture. There, she studied under Rem Koolhaas, who described her as “a planet in her own inimitable orbit.” In her early career, she was known as a “paper architect” because her designs—often inspired by Russian Suprematism and the paintings of Kazimir Malevich—were considered too radical or gravity-defying to be built.
Hadid’s early works, such as the Vitra Fire Station (1993) in Germany, were characterized by sharp angles and fragmented geometry (Deconstructivism). However, as technology advanced, her style evolved into Parametricism, utilizing complex digital modeling to create fluid, sweeping, and organic forms that mimicked natural topographies.
Her most iconic projects include the MAXXI Museum in Rome, the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympics, and the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan. Beyond her architectural achievements, Hadid was a formidable painter and designer, often using large-scale acrylic paintings as a primary tool for her design process, treating architecture as an extension of landscape and abstract art.
She passed away suddenly in 2016, leaving behind a global legacy of buildings that challenged the traditional “four-cornered” limits of space and structure.
Active in others filds : Furniture Design, Fashion & Jewelry Design (collaborations with Bulgari and Lacoste), Product Design, Painting, Scenography.
