For someone who changed the landscape of modern design, Zaha Hadid had relatively humble beginnings; she studied mathematics at the American University of Beirut and then architecture in London. In 1979, she founded her own architectural firm and finished the design of her first building, the distinctive Vitra Fire Station in Germany.
In the decades to come, Hadid cultivated her design vision throughout the world, including the London Aquatics Centre, Dubai Opera House, Beijing Airport Terminal and the residences at CityLife Milan. Her foundation in mathematics allowed her a certain freedom to experiment. The boundary-pushing building designs that resulted have a curve-kissed fluidity and continuity that, on their grand scale, seem almost structurally impossible and visually indescribable. This vision also applies to her lighting designs and home accessories such as the Froma Cheese Grater for Alessi — boldly and beautifully curved, they practically cry out to be touched. Zaha Hadid died in 2016.
“With experimentation, you think you’re going to find out one thing, but you actually discover something else. That’s what I think is really exciting. You discover much more than you bargain for."
