Bending convention: the fluid, dynamic structures of Zaha Hadid

In this Curious Muse video essay, we get better acquainted with the work of Zaha Hadid (1950-2016), a British Iraqi architect, recognised as a major figure in the field during the late 20th and early 21st centuries

Often known as the ‘Queen of the Curve’, Hadid’s unconventional buildings toe a fine line between fantasy and reality, and major works include the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympics, the Broad Art Museum, Rome’s MAXXI Museum and the Guangzhou Opera House.

Closer to home, Hadid is the architect behind the controversial redesign of Old Nicosia’s Eleftheria Square, which, while construction commenced in 2012, remains in stop-start mode, and not yet fully completed.

Currently, framed within the old Venetian fortifications, the minimalist, concrete-heavy edifice juts out across the moat, leaving the Old City’s characteristic Venetian walls tucked away behind – an aesthetic choice that has polarised opinions among local residents.

Read more about the Eleftheria Square redesign here.

Nevertheless, throughout her career, Hadid was no stranger to acclaim and kudos. Included among her professional honours were the Pritzker Prize in 2004, and the Stirling Prize, in 2010 and 2011.

In 2012, she was made a Dame by Elizabeth II for services to architecture, and in February, 2016, only a month before her death, she became the first woman to be individually awarded the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects.

So, why are Hadid’s buildings considered so memorable? And what influences her signature style? We learn more about her unconventional visual journey in this video essay.

View the original video here.

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