When discussing with designers around a table regarding which is their most inspirational modern architect in the last decade, it’s no surprise when Zaha Hadid’s name is mentioned. A pioneer in her own right and a female with more accolades than most architects aspire to throughout her career, Zara Hadid consistently pushes the boundaries of what is expected from an architect in the modern age. While she may be done with her days of designing luxury property in London, her modern architecture styles and creations inspire architects around the world. As the only female winner of the Pritzker award (the equivalent of the noble prize for architecture professionals), Zaha Hadid is heralded as one of the most influential architects in the field and holds numerous positions in tertiary institutions across the world.
Architecture with a Modern Focus
Born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1950, Zaha excelled throughout school and was accepted into a local University where she earned a degree in Mathematics in Beirut. After realising a passion for architecture and looking to develop her own modern methods, she moved to London and enrolled in the Architectural Association School of Architecture. After years of study and celebrated success, she began working for her esteemed professors before starting her own firm in Central London. While she is well known for her luxurious modern public buildings, Zaha Hadid has had many of her designs never built, but this hasn’t stopped her from gaining credit as a pioneer of new design and thought in the field of modern architecture. She won international competitions for her design of the Cardiff Opera House and The Peak Club in Hong Kong, though both were never built before winning the design award for One North, Singapore in 2002. In 2005 she won the Pritzker Award and has amassed to this day a total of over 20 acclaimed architectural projects, many of which have been awarded international praise from peers and professional bodies.
Looking to the Future
Zaha continues to work in the industry at the ripe age of 61, heading up her firm of more than 250 of the top architects in London. She has been awarded a CBE for her contributions to modern architect design and is a board member of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica. Her career has been showcased for numerous years at the prestigious Guggenheim Museum, where her architecture designs inspire new minds to think beyond modern times and into the bright future of the profession. Without a doubt, Zaha Hadid has cemented her position as one of the modern architect greats and her work will be applauded and aspired to for many, many years to come.
Citations:
- CC image from Flickr
Sally Roberts is a freelance writer who loves discussing designer living and modern architecture. Through her writing she aims to showcase some amazing buildings and the people behind those designs – and hopefully find the ideal luxury property for rent in London!