Zaha Hadid (1950 – Present)
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. Zaha Hadid is also known for her exhibition designs, stage sets, furniture, paintings, and drawings.
From parking garages and ski-jumps to vast urban landscapes, Zaha Hadid’s works have been called bold, unconventional, and theatrical. She studied and worked under Rem Koolhaas, and like Koolhaas, and often brings a deconstructivist approach to her designs. In 1980, Zaha Hadid opened her own practice, Zaha Hadid Architects.
Outstanding Work:
1993: A fire station for the Vitra Furniture 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: Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg, Germany
Major Awards:
1982: Gold Medal Architectural Design, British Architecture for 59 Eaton Place, London
2000: Honourable Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
2004: Pritzker Architecture Prize
