Written by Jaden Parker

Zaha Hadid was a world-renowned architect who set the standards for innovative architecture. Born in 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq, Hadid went to the American University of Beirut and studied mathematics. When she was 22 years old, she went to London and attended the Architectural Association School. Five years later, she would receive the Diploma Prize. For ten years following her graduation, she taught at the school until 1987. During her teaching career, she founded Zaha Architects in 1979.

Through her company, she received numerous awards for her work. In 2004, she won the Nobel Prize of architecture, the Pritzker Architecture Prize. She won the Stirling Prize twice, first in 2010 for her design of the National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome and again in 2011 for her Evelyn Grace Academy building in London. In 2012, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the late Queen Elizabeth II, and she subsequently received the Royal Gold Medal in February of 2016, just a month before her passing.

In honor of her birthday today, I wanted to highlight some of the incredible designs of her lifetime.

The Vitra Fire Station in Germany

This was Zaha Hadid’s first completed design project. Constructed in 1993 following a devastating fire that demolished the Vitra Campus in 1981, Hadid was joined by other famous architects like Tadao Ando and Frank Gehry to rebuild the complex. Her building had sharp concrete planes angled in different directions.

The Lois and Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, Ohio

This was Hadid’s first building in the United States. It was built in 2003 and was also the first ever American art museum to be designed by a woman. The New York Times called it “the most important American building to be completed since the end of the Cold War.” It has what she described as a “jigsaw puzzle” design with the galleries varying in space, height, and lighting.

The Guangzhou Opera House in the Guangdong province of China

Located northwest of Hong Kong, this extraordinary building debuted in 2010. It is nicknamed “the double pebble” because it looks like two rocks sitting on the Pearl River. The auditorium is lined with gypsum panels, and the ceiling has thousands of tiny lights to resemble stars.

The Riverside Museum in Glasgow, UK

This was Hadid’s first U.K. commission and was built in 2011 as an addition to the Glasgow Museum of Transport. The roofs of the museum towers are made of zinc and zigzag across the top of the building to symbolize the city meeting the water.

Galaxy SOHO in Beijing, China

A complex building for retail, offices, and entertainment, the Galaxy SOHO building is made from reinforced concrete, aluminum, stone, glass, and stainless steel. It has absolutely no corners whatsoever to reflect “traditional Chinese architecture where courtyards create an internal world of continuous open spaces,” according to Zaha Architects. It has a total of eighteen floors, three of which are underground.

The Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan

This building was constructed in 2012 to symbolize the development of the country following its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. In 2014, it was the first ever architecture project to be awarded the overall title of Design of the Year for London’s Design Museum competition. Its main throughway connects the international airport to the city.

The Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, China

Replacing Beijing’s first airport which is now an aviation museum, this airport finished construction in 2019 after Hadid’s death. Nicknamed the “starfish” because of its five “arms” that meet at the main hall, it was designed so one can reach the furthest end of a gate within an eight-minute walk. Hadid also designed a water management system to store and purify water and help prevent flooding. In future expansions, the airport will be able to annually serve 100 million people.

Many of you readers, like myself, may not know much about the world of architecture. However, it was such a joy getting to learn about Zaha Hadid and all her accomplishments. Her legacy will truly live on for generations to come through her beautiful designs and thoughtful architecture.