Superstar Architect Zaha Hadid is Dead at 65

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ORIGINAL: Wired
By LIZ STINSON DESIGN 
03.31.16

Zahad Hadid in her London office in 1985.CHRISTOPHER PILLITZ/GETTY IMAGES
ZAHA HADID, ONE of architecture’s biggest stars, has passed away at age 65. According to the website of the Iraqi-born, London-based designer, she suffered a heart attack in a Miami hospital while being treated for bronchitis.

Hadid, who is largely regarded as the most influential female architect in history, made her mark on the world with extravagant buildings that embraced organic curves, fluid lines, and often hefty price tags. Though her career wasn’t without controversy, Hadid’s legacy will be her finished buildings, which were often imbued with an expressive sense of motion. Her most well-known work includes
Source: DiscoverAzerbaijan. Azerbaijani’s flowing white Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center,

Source: London’s Olympic Aquatics Center
, and her early work on the
Vitra Fire Station in Weil am Rhein, Germany. Source: WikiCommons
Reactions to Hadid’s death ranged from pure shock to celebration of her formative role in modern architecture:

I am so so so shocked, I have no words. https://t.co/pcbyzGxdGi
— Paola Antonelli (@curiousoctopus) March 31, 2016

Zaha Hadid RIP.
The first woman to win the Pritzker Prize and so many other firsts.
— Alice Rawsthorn (@alicerawsthorn) March 31, 2016

Devastated by the loss of a great architect & colleague today. Her spirit will live on in her work and studio. Our hearts go out.#zahahadid
— Studio Libeskind (@DanielLibeskind) March 31, 2016

In 2004, Hadid was the first woman recipient of the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor. Last month, she was awarded the Riba gold medal for architecture, becoming the first woman without a male partner to win the prestigious award in its 167-year history. Throughout her career, Hadid shattered the expectation of a woman’s role in architecture, ultimately becoming one of the most well-known designers, regardless of gender.

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