Zaha Hadid
The first woman to be awarded the distinguished Pritzker Architecture Prize, in 2004, Zaha Hadid is internationally known for projects that have literally "shifted the geometry of buildings." The Iraqi-born, London-based architect has collaborated with the Guggenheim on several projects leading up to this comprehensive retrospective, including the design for the museum's exhibition "The Great Utopia" in 1992. Each of Hadid's dynamic and innovative works builds on over 30 years of experimentation and research in the interrelated fields of urbanism, architecture and design. True to Hadid's interdisciplinary approach to architecture, all mediums will be covered here. ~Having first achieved international recognition through her striking images and designs, Zaha Hadid is now widely known as an innovator who consistently tests the boundaries of architecture, urbanism and design. One of her most important "testing fields" has been her drawings. Her reconsideration of the architectural drawing through nontraditional floor plans has had a major impact on all areas of design and architecture. Once considered unbuildable, her projects can now be seen around the world, including major projects in Europe, North America and Asia.~Hadid's most recent work incorporates smooth surfaces where walls seem to melt, floors curving upward, and ceilings that appear to compress, bend and expand. In her designs, architecture emerges not as an isolated object but out of the surrounding landscape and urban environment, and as a result of its users' movements and paths. Her work addresses "fluid geometries" and "artificial natures." The book features color illustrations of designs and models, previously unpublishedpaintings and photographs of buildings at all stages of construction, as well as two previously unpublished interviews with