At that time, Iraq had been freed from the geopolitical interference of Great Britain for only twenty years, but it still remained under the great influence of Western culture. Eminent European architects came to Baghdad every now and then.
There are several versions about how Zaha Hadid decided to become an architect too. In one of the many interviews, she recalls a story from her childhood: once her parents took her for a walk to the ancient Sumerian ruins, which impressed the girl very much, and gave rise to the desire to build extraordinary, unlike anything else.
Little Zaha, who was not afraid to dream and managed to realize everything she planned
Zaha told the second edition how she saw pictures from the exhibition of Frank Lloyd Wright's works in the magazine. She asked her parents what they call people who build houses. And immediately she announced that she wanted to become one of them. However, at that time, in addition to architect, the list of desired professions included a singer, a fashion designer, and even an astronaut.
Zaha's father himself graduated from the London School of Economics and was a successful businessman - he supported his daughter's choice and was able to ensure her education in prestigious higher educational institutions. In 1968, Zaha Hadid left Iraq, to which she would briefly return only forty years later, but she would always sympathize with her native country, closely following the political and military conflicts taking place there.
After studying mathematics at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, the future architect moves to London, where her childhood dreams come true and she enters the Architectural School of the Architectural Association. Her teacher is Rem Koolhaas, a famous Dutch architect. Later, Koolhaas will call Zaha the most talented of his students, and she will surpass the teacher, who took one of the leading places on the architectural Olympus.
In one of the interviews, Zaha recalls her student period, when she was fascinated by the Russian avant-garde, especially the work of Kazimir Malevich, and dreamed of hanging "Black Square" in her living room. The fascination even influenced the architect's diploma work - Malevich's Tectonic, a project for an inhabited bridge over the Thames, where she used painting as a design method. Here it is worth going back to Zaha's childhood, mentioning that her mother, an artist, taught her the basics of painting. In the future, Zaha prepared several hundred sketches for each of her projects, from which a new architectural masterpiece was born.
Zaha Hadid in her London office, 1985. Photo: Christopher Pillitz/Getty Images
After graduation, she works as an architect in London. Despite the move to Great Britain, Zaha Hadid wholeheartedly sympathizes with the citizens of her native country, in which a military conflict raged from 2003 to 2011. She says: "Baghdad and Al-Rashid Street lie in ruins. Mosul and Basra are destroyed, the country is divided into parts. The embargo is the worst thing that ever happened to Iraq. War is a catastrophe, but an embargo destroys everything. Like in a bullfight, when the bull continues to be stabbed until he loses his breath. Iraqis do not deserve the situation they are in."
When the British press asked Zahi why she accepted the invitation to build a new building for the Central Bank of Iraq, she answered: "We must start building something to give hope."
Then she explained: "However, you need to think about the city as a whole, and not just about one building. It is necessary to deal with the structure of the city and the state. Now the issues must be resolved in a civilized way, far from politics. People want us to start building. Iraq needs schools, hospitals and public buildings. There is much more work than we can imagine. Many foreigners are now coming to Iraq to understand the situation - German companies are preparing to plan several cities. Iraqis need help. Not financial help, they are rich. But great willpower is needed, and safety is extremely important."
Zaha Hadid has many projects built around the world, the architecture of which fascinates with space lines and interiors similar to futuristic installations. The Zaha Hadid Architects team, after Zaha's death (March 31, 2016), continues to design, trying to adhere to the founder's vision and style.
On her birthday, we want to show a selection of collaborations with fashion houses, where Hadid expresses her vision of boutique interiors in the language characteristic of her architecture and works on subject design: shoes and accessories. She managed to embody the fantasies of that little girl and realize almost all her childhood dreams about professions: an architect, a fashion designer, and, if you wish, an astronaut. And if it were not for her early departure from life, who knows what new heights she would have been able to reach.
In 2006, Hadid took part in the Icone Bag art project, which was initiated by the French fashion house Louis Vuitton. The task of the project was to reinterpret iconic models of LV handbags and turn them into works of art. So, the classic shape of the Bucket, the design of which was taken up by the architect, was embodied in snow-white molded plastic covered with crimson leather on the inside. The famous Monogram pattern on the surface of the accessory became embossed
Swarovski also collaborated with Mrs. Hadid. She created a collection of bracelets called Glace, devoted to the dichotomous nature of crystal, which manifests itself in the clear outlines of the finished product, despite its incredible fragility
One of the architect's latest collaborations with jewelry brands is a collaboration with Aziz and Walid Mouzannar. The jewelry went on sale in January 2017. The joint collection included bracelets made of white, yellow and rose gold and a cuff ring. Patterns in the form of webs are encrusted with white and black diamonds
Vortexx Ring, created for its own brand of jewelry and jewelry, is created in the key of modern design aesthetics. It consists of two spiral stars, mixed with each other, where the upper and lower vortices are located in a comfortable space between the fingers, holding the ring in place
Zaha Hadid created a jewelry line for the Danish jewelry brand Georg Jensen. Bracelets and massive knuckle rings, cast from pure silver in Zaha's unique sculptural manner, emphasize the curves of the body
The shoe brand United Nude also collaborated with the architect, and the result of their joint work was the 2013 Nova Shoes, made of chrome rubber vinyl on the outside and Italian leather on the inside, with a hidden platform and a fiberglass heel
Zaha was quite often engaged in interior design, in particular, her clients were the shoe brand Stuart Weitzman. In the photo is her first boutique for the brand in Milan, which marked the beginning of further cooperation
In 2008, Hadid created sneakers for Lacoste. Their design turned out to be very casual, compared to other pairs of shoes from the architect. The tongue of these sneakers made of soft leather was specially elongated and twisted in a spiral around the shin
Zaha also participated in the creation of a capsule collection for the Nicholas Kirkwood luxury shoe brand. Classic models of the brand are decorated with decorative design elements from the architect
The architect also participated in the creation of adidas Originals sneakers together with Pharrell Williams. The relief of the toe and sole gives off Zaha in the shoes, and the bright insole is a Farrell creation
In 2008, Zaha Hadid designed the Tokyo boutique Niel Barrett, designed the interior not according to the principle of the most rational use of space, but in accordance with the way a person moves through it
Decorations by Zaha Hadid for the Chanel spring-summer 2012 fashion show
