Born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1950, Zaha Hadid was the first woman to win a Pritzker Architecture Prize. Her work experiments with new spatial concepts and encompasses all fields of design, ranging from urban spaces to products and furniture.
Born:
October 31, 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq
Education:
- 1977: Diploma Prize, Architectural Association (AA) School of Architecture in London
- Studied mathematics at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon prior to moving to London in 1972
Important Projects:
- 1993: A fire station for the Vitra Company in Weil am Rhein, Germany
- 2001: Terminus Hoenheim-Nord, a "park and ride" and tramway on the outskirts of Strasbourg, France
- 2002: Bergisel Ski Jump, Austria
- 2003: The Richard and Lois Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, Ohio
- 2005: Phæno Science Center in Wolfsburg, Germany
- 2008: Pedestrian Bridge and Exposition Pavilions, Zaragoza, Spain
- 2009: MAXXI: National Museum of 21st Century Arts, Rome, Italy
- 2010: Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- 2010: Guangzhou Opera House, China
- 2011: Riverside Museum of Transport, Glasgow, Scotland
- 2011: Aquatics Centre, London, United Kingdom
- 2011: CMA CGM Corporate Headquarters, Marseille, France
- 2012: Pierres Vives, Montpellier, France
- 2012: Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University in East Lansing
Other Works:
Zaha Hadid is also known for her exhibition designs, stage sets, furniture, paintings, and drawings.
Partnerships:
- Zaha Hadid worked at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture with her former teachers, Rem Koolhaas and Elia Zenghelis
- In 1979, Zaha Hadid opened her own practice, Zaha Hadid Architects. Patrik Schumacher joined her in 1988.
"Working with senior office partner, Patrik Schumacher, Hadid's interest lies in the rigorous interface between architecture, landscape, and geology as her practice integrates natural topography and human-made systems, leading to experimentation with cutting-edge technologies. Such a process often results in unexpected and dynamic architectural forms."— Resnicow Schroeder biography, 2012 press release (PDF) accessed November 16, 2012
Major Awards and Honors:
- 1982: Gold Medal Architectural Design, British Architecture for 59 Eaton Place, London
- 2000: Honourable Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
- 2002: Commander of the British Empire
- 2004: Pritzker Architecture Prize
- 2010, 2011: Stirling Prize, Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
- 2012: Order of the British Empire, Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to Architecture
About Zaha Hadid:
From parking garages and ski-jumps to vast urban landscapes, Zaha Hadid's works have been called bold, unconventional, and theatrical. Zaha Hadid studied and worked under Rem Koolhaas, and like Koolhaas, she often brings a deconstructivist approach to her designs.
Zaha Hadid was the first woman to win a Pritzker Architecture Prize. Learn more: Citation from the Pritzker Prize Jury.
