Selected Artist: Dame Zaha Hadid – FUNG COLLABORATIVES

DAME ZAHA HADID

Dame Zaha Hadid (1950–2016) was an Iraqi-British architect whose work redefined the possibilities of architectural geometry in the 21st century. Born in Baghdad and educated at the Architectural Association in London, she was initially known as a "paper architect" because her radical, avant-garde designs—influenced by Russian Suprematism—were considered too complex to be built. Her early paintings and drawings explored fragmented forms and multiple perspective points, challenging the traditional "90-degree" logic of modernism. It was not until 1993, with the completion of the Vitra Fire Station in Germany, that Hadid proved her sharp-angled, gravity-defying visions could be successfully translated into physical structures.

As digital design tools evolved, Hadid’s style shifted from jagged abstraction to "parametricism," characterized by fluid, organic curves and seamless transitions between floors, walls, and ceilings. This "neofuturistic" approach is exemplified by the Heydar Aliyev Center in Azerbaijan, where the building’s skin flows continuously from the surrounding plaza into the structure itself. Other landmark projects include the MAXXI Museum in Rome, the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympics, and the Guangzhou Opera House. Her work often sought to mimic natural systems like river erosion or glacier formations, creating a sense of dynamic movement within solid mass.

Throughout her career, Hadid broke numerous gender and cultural barriers in a male-dominated profession. In 2004, she became the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize, and in 2012, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to architecture. She also became the first and only woman to be awarded the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in her own right. Following her sudden passing in 2016, her firm, Zaha Hadid Architects, has continued to execute her unfinished designs and new commissions worldwide, maintaining her legacy as a pioneer of parametric design and structural fluidity.

DAME ZAHA HADID

Dame Zaha Hadid (1950–2016) was an Iraqi-British architect whose work redefined the possibilities of architectural geometry in the 21st century. Born in Baghdad and educated at the Architectural Association in London, she was initially known as a “paper architect” because her radical, avant-garde designs—influenced by Russian Suprematism—were considered too complex to be built. Her early paintings and drawings explored fragmented forms and multiple perspective points, challenging the traditional “90-degree” logic of modernism. It was not until 1993, with the completion of the Vitra Fire Station in Germany, that Hadid proved her sharp-angled, gravity-defying visions could be successfully translated into physical structures.

As digital design tools evolved, Hadid’s style shifted from jagged abstraction to “parametricism,” characterized by fluid, organic curves and seamless transitions between floors, walls, and ceilings. This “neofuturistic” approach is exemplified by the Heydar Aliyev Center in Azerbaijan, where the building’s skin flows continuously from the surrounding plaza into the structure itself. Other landmark projects include the MAXXI Museum in Rome, the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympics, and the Guangzhou Opera House. Her work often sought to mimic natural systems like river erosion or glacier formations, creating a sense of dynamic movement within solid mass.

ARTWORK

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