Remembering Zaha Hadid: 21st-Century ‘Starchitect’

“There are three hundred and fifty-nine other degrees. Why limit yourself to one?”

For several decades, world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid pushed design to new limits based on inventive and innovative perspectives like this one. On March 31st, the world was shocked to learn that she had died of a heart attack at age 65. Within hours, stories began to circulate in remembrance of Hadid, and we were once again reminded of the stunning beauty of her creations, which dominate cityscapes all over the world.

Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan

Condo under construction; it will be Hadid’s only building in New York City, and one of very few in the Western hemisphere.

Hadid graduated from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in 1977. Aaron Betsky (Cincinnati Art Museum) described the impact of one of her structures, ‘Malevich’s Tektonik,’ from her award-winning portfolio: “It really was one of these very rare moments when a fissure opens up in architecture, and a different way of seeing emerges. We no longer have to be bound by gravity. We don’t have to accept reality—she will unfold her own reality.”

Guangzhou Opera House, in Guangdong, China

In 1980, she started her own firm, Zaha Hadid Architects, and ever since she seemed truly unbound by gravity, making creations full of movement and striking elegance. Hadid will certainly be remembered for her legendary architectural designs, but many cannot help but point out the particular difficulties she endured because of her gender as well as her ethnicity. Few articles fail to mention that she was the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize (the highest honor in the architectural profession) in 2004, or reference the idea that she was “a woman who had dared to enter a man’s world, and took no shit from anybody.” According to John Seabrook, who wrote a profile on Hadid for the New Yorker in 2009 as well as a post-script on the day of her death, “She had to be twice as smart and three times as tough as her male counterparts in order to get anything built.”  

Lois and Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, USA

Though it is true that she had to work harder to accomplish her projects compared to male architects, I do not think she would want to be remembered in such a one-dimensional way. To celebrate her specifically as a female architect would be to minimize her architectural accomplishments, which have been described as ‘striking,’ ‘over-the-top,’ and ‘explosive in their energy.’ She was once asked by a journalist, “How does it feel to be the first woman to design a public building in the city of the emperors?” She gave the spot-on response,  “I don’t know. I’ve always been a woman. I don’t go around thinking of myself as a woman on a daily basis.”

London Aquatics Centre in London, United Kingdom. The showpiece of the 2012 Summer Olympics, and Hadid’s first major building. 

I only hope that one day, everyone can feel that they face no disadvantages because of their identity, and can be respected for their work in its own right, and not specifically because of a particular identity. Hadid said once of developers who claimed to not understand her drawing, “I think they can’t stand the idea of a strong woman.” Hopefully, as society becomes increasingly accepting of the idea of strong women, we may see more gender parity in the field of architecture and other historically male-dominated domains. Until then, Hadid’s impressive creations will be a testament to her legacy as well as an inspiration for future architects and innovators for years to come. 

• architecture
• design
• gender
• innovation
• inspiration
• legacy
• performing arts
• structure
• woman