Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 best works from Zaha Hadid, who won architecture’s biggest prize 13 years ago

Zaha Hadid, 'Queen of the Curve,' who won architecture's biggest prize 13 years ago. Photo: AP

The late architect Zaha Hadid — known as the “Queen of the Curve” for the modern, curving designs of her buildings — had a legendary career.

The Iraqi-born British architect became the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize (the Nobel Prize of her field) in 2004. She also received numerous other awards and honours, including being named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DME) in 2012 and earning the Royal Institute of British Architects Gold Medal in 2015 — the first ever given to a woman.

Zaha Hadid during the opening ceremony of the National Museum of 21st Century Arts (MAXXI), in Rome, Italy. Photo: EPA

Hadid designed everything from a metro station in Saudi Arabia, to the aquatics centre for the 2012 London Olympics, to a city centre in downtown Belgrade — all in her signature flowing style.

One of the last buildings she designed will be completed in New York City this summer. It’s an 11-story condominium made of steel and glass, and it incorporates a unique curvy chevron pattern.

Hadid died in a Miami hospital in 2016 after suffering a heart attack. Google is honouring her Wednesday with a Google Doodle on its homepage and a retrospective of her work.

Click through to see how her style evolved over time, and remember the artist through the body of work she left behind all over the world.

Completed in 2003, the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati was Hadid’s first project in the US. It was a huge critical success.

After the success of the Rosenthal Center, Hadid was hired for several other projects. The BMW Central Building in Leipzig, Germany was among the first. It was completed in May 2005.

The BMW Central Building in Leipzig

And she designed the Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg, Germany, which was also completed in 2005. The New York Times called it “the kind of building that utterly transforms our vision of the future.”

The Phaeno Science Center

She designed the Bridge Pavilion in Zaragoza, Spain, as one of the main landmarks for Expo 2008. The 919-foot covered bridge spans the River Ebro.

The Bridge Pavilion in Zaragoza

In 2010, Hadid designed MAXXI, the National Center for Contemporary Arts in Rome. It is one of Hadid’s most praised works, and it won the Stirling Award in 2010.

MAXXI, the National Center for Contemporary Arts

Hadid was commissioned to build the aquatics centre in London before the city even won the bid for the 2012 Olympics. It has two 50-meter pools and a diving pool.

The aquatics centre in London

Completed in May 2012, the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center in Baku, Azerbaijan, serves as a library, museum, and a conference centre.

The Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center in Baku

She also finished the Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University in 2012. The angular facade is made of pleated stainless steel and glass.

The Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University

She also designed Wangjing SoHo, an office and retail space on the outskirts of Beijing. It’s allegedly being copied by “pirate architects” on the island of Chongqing.

Wangjing SoHo

In late 2012, Hadid unveiled plans for the zany Beko building in downtown Belgrade. It’s slated to be a city centre with residential, retail, and commercial space.

The Beko building

In May 2013, renderings for her futuristic metro station in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were released.

The metro station in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Her 11-story condo complex being constructed near New York City’s High Line park is equally impressive. It was designed to give residents unparalleled views and access to the park. It is slated to open in this summer.

The 11-story condo complex being constructed near New York City’s High Line

Hadid has also designed one of the main stadiums to be used for the 2022 World Cup to be held in Qatar. It was mired in controversy after news reports came out it was being constructed with “forced labour.”

The main stadiums to be used for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

The most memorable works from the ‘Queen of the Curve’