World renown architect Zaha Hadid dies

/By Azernews/

By Amina Nazarli

World renowned architect, Dame Zaha Hadid died at age of 65 years after heart attack on Thursday.

The architect, whose designs also include the Heydar Aliyev Center, died in a Miami hospital where she was treated for bronchitis.

In 2016, she was the first woman to receive the Royal Institute of British Architects Gold Medal in recognition of her work.

Zaha was the first woman architect, who awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2004, which was handed to her in St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum, which hosted the first Russian retrospective exhibition of her work.

Her designs have been commissioned around the world, including Azerbaijan, Hong Kong Germany and Italy.

Great architect left a number of groundbreaking projects. Here are the top five:

Heydar Aliyev Center

The Heydar Aliyev Center, which has already become one of the most recognizable symbols of Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, is one of the masterpieces of Zaha Hadid.

The overall shape of the center, opened in 2012, resembles a wave-like ascension from the ground towards the sky followed by gradual descents. The harmonious lines connecting to its interior design also attracts guests, who get the sense of being onboard a UFO.

For the building Zaha won London Design Museum award in 2014.

Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion

An enclosed interactive spanning the River Ebro to form a gateway to the Zaragoza Expo 2008, a hybrid of pedestrian footbridge and exhibition pavilion. This fluid, dynamic design interprets the Expo’s theme: “Water and Sustainable Development”.

Polytechnic University in Hong Kong

This structure is already being called an architectural landmark, which combines rapid development of images of young and highly educated new generation.

The building is usually described by the terms "seamless architecture," where the flowing lines define the dynamics of not only architecture, but also the landscape around it.

Guangzhou Opera House, Guangzhou, China (2010)

Never mind the uneven build quality, or the lack of a world class company to perform in the 1,800-seat main hall, the Opera House is a statement building, and an opulent symbol of China’s rise.

London Aquatics Centre, London, UK (2011)

Once again, Hadid tried to reinvent the very idea of what a swimming pool could be, with a design that featured an overhanging roof, and vast windows. The venue was undoubtedly the architectural star of the London 2012 Olympics.