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Zaha Hadid, Groundbreaking Architect, Dies at 65 (nytimes.com)

An anonymous reader quotes an article on The New York Times about the death of Zaha Hadid: Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi-British architect whose curving, elongated structures left a mark on skylines around the world, and who was the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize, her profession's highest honor, died on Thursday in Miami. She was 65. Ms. Hadid "contracted bronchitis earlier this week and suffered a sudden heart attack while being treated in hospital," her office, Zaha Hadid Architects in London, said in a statement. [...] She was also a role model and inspiration for generations of young architects, men and women, who wanted to become Ms. Hadid: an architect of boundless ambition, a celebrity, and an artist with big ideas who won commissions for some of the world's big, flashiest projects by the sheer force of her intelligence, creativity and personality. Ms. Hadid epitomized an era when architects became global brands. Her brand promised buildings of extravagant sculptural invention, spectacles of curving, swooping, unprecedented forms. She represented the epitome of the art of so-called parametric design, by which architects, aided by sophisticated computer programs, could animate buildings into new shapes. You will want to read her profile on The Guardian.

72 comments

  1. Bad pun, moderate downward by Beryllium+Sphere(tm) · · Score: 3, Funny

    Isn't it the construction crew, not the architect, who are "groundbreaking"?

    1. Re:Bad pun, moderate downward by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What does that make people who build windmills?

    2. Re:Bad pun, moderate downward by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Developers of Ulence Flats?

  2. I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by Zeio · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I just looked at her work in images.google. Do not want. They are not really that pleasing to look at. I like the Roman/Greek and large medieval/renaissance buildings - golden ratio, "perfect" aesthetics. These Zaha works are just ugly and trying to be different and lead to higher cost, hard to maintain with that comes leaks and I don't think they are aesthetically pleasing.

    --
    Legalize the constitution. Think for yourself question authority.
    1. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't forget Aristotle. Golden age, "perfect" science. Too bad we didn't stick with that.

    2. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If your focus is practical look at the actual construction projects not the artistic renderings. They are innovative breaking the monotony of surroundings and fit best as special buildings with their own gardens/lawn space.

    3. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by Pseudonymous+Powers · · Score: 5, Funny

      These Zaha works are just ugly and trying to be different... I don't think they are aesthetically pleasing.

      Sorry, but all the good-looking designs have been taken. If you want to prove to the world that you're a brilliant artistic genius, which they make everyone swear an oath to do in architecture school, then you have to make something ugly, because that's all that's left.

      You're probably just not smart enough to see the Emperor's clothes--er, I mean, the beauty.

    4. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by pushing-robot · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Her company's interior designs are nice, but the exteriors are reminiscent of generic modern sculptures which scream "Look at me, I'm art!" but lack beauty or emotional power.

      Also, I don't know what's going on in her drawings, but I'm pretty sure it's not architecture.

      --
      How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
    5. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      oh shit everyone, pack it up! Zeio's spoken, and he doesn't like this work. Time to tear it down and start over.

    6. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've said this about the never-ending iPod age of design, but it applies to shitty modern architecture (which is to say, practically all of it) as well:

      When you reach a dead end, sometimes you've gotta go backward to find a way forward.

      I'm not gonna throw dirt on this lady's career even if I don't like her buildings, but I do dislike this paradigm we're in - the one you just described.

      There's nothing new under the sun, folks. Just because something isn't first doesn't mean that it isn't good. By all means, invent, but don't be afraid to use something that works.

    7. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      then you have to make something ugly, because that's all that's left.

      Does 'Walkie Talkie' ring any bell to you?

    8. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by dj245 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I just looked at her work in images.google. Do not want. They are not really that pleasing to look at. I like the Roman/Greek and large medieval/renaissance buildings - golden ratio, "perfect" aesthetics. These Zaha works are just ugly and trying to be different and lead to higher cost, hard to maintain with that comes leaks and I don't think they are aesthetically pleasing.

      Completely agree. She always came across to me as a self-righteous individual who had no qualms about wasting other people's money. Based on her whining about losing the Tokyo stadium, I would guess she was a pain to work with as well.

      --
      Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
    9. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      I like her work. It reminds me of the brutalist style, but pleasing to the eye.

      Everyone has different tastes, but as architecture goes I'm finding hard to see how her buildings could be considered ugly. Can you cite any particular ones you dislike?

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    10. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 1

      They look nice but if you actually want to have space that you can utilize then you might want another architect.

    11. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "ugly" is just a fancy word for "I'm not comfortable with who I am when I look at it"

      So who the f*** even knows what their justifications are? Or, really, cares?

    12. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by dsmatthews9379 · · Score: 2

      I strongly disliked her earlier works but feel that she was just starting in the last ten years to mature as a designer so it is sad to see her die just as her vision was becoming more natural and sophisticated. see https://www.google.com/search?...

    13. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by hey! · · Score: 2

      I like the Roman/Greek and large medieval/renaissance buildings - golden ratio, "perfect" aesthetics.

      And other people like other things. I'm with you on practical issues like leaks -- a building really ought to work before it does anything else. But you really can't scale up those old Medieval buildings before you end up with a dull ungainly monstrosities like those horrible baroque palaces in central Europe. They make Soviet Brutalist architecture look playful.

      And as for classical architecture -- how do you apply that to a skyscraper or office block? Consider that many of this woman's buildings would drawf the Parthenon in terms of working footage.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    14. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not a pretty building - but its big and classical.

      https://www.aoc.gov/capitol-bu...

      Something like this could be tweaked into something nicer without having to make the building look like they used spiral swirl and splashed paint on the drafting board/software.

    15. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To each their own.
      Personally, I LOVE her work.
      It's like FINALLY, an architect has moved into the 21st century, rather than just regurgitating the boring classical 20th century visions of city-scapes.
      While many of us also like those Roman & Greek styles, they are NOT relevant anymore except as either RUINS or heritage structures.
      You may prefer boxes, but some of us like style, innovation and the ability to think OUTSIDE the "box".

    16. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Check out videos of the BMW factory in Leipzig on youtube. Beautiful and functional.

    17. Re:I'm sorry, but the buildings dont look good. by packrat0x · · Score: 1

      Lessons from my father:

      "An architect builds a monument to themselves with another person's money."

      --
      227-3517
  3. When id /. become Jezebel? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Why is a tech site celebrating this woman, because she used a computer at work? WTF, is there a feminist story quota on /. now?

    How proficient do you need to be at Word to get a write-up now?

    1. Re:When id /. become Jezebel? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Why? To make all the easily-manipulated, self-entitled MRAs scream and whine, thus increasing pageviews and maybe clicks! Profit!

    2. Re:When id /. become Jezebel? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I know, right? I just looked through the last three days of Slashdot articles, and was overwhelmed by sheer weight of the single article about a female.

      When will this onslaught of one single article about a woman (who has achieved more in her life than you and all your descendants ever will) end? It's feminism gone mad!

    3. Re:When id /. become Jezebel? by quenda · · Score: 1

      Maybe because we are sick of hearing about Arabs blowing things up and oppressing women, and its nice to have a good-news story (even if its an obituary) about an Arab woman building things. (Explains it for the Guardian, anyway.)

    4. Re:When id /. become Jezebel? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you're an idiot

  4. I read this on google news hours ago by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    What's the tech/geek tie-in? What's the point of coming to a 'news for nerds' website when there are other much better sites to get the same news?

    1. Re:I read this on google news hours ago by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 1

      What's the tech/geek tie-in? What's the point of coming to a 'news for nerds' website when there are other much better sites to get the same news?

      Well, she did design the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum, which was used for a location in the new Batman vs. Superman movie. Is that geeky/nerdy enough for you?

      --
      Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    2. Re:I read this on google news hours ago by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      THE FEMINIST INDOCTRINATION WILL CONTINUE UNTIL YOU SHITLORDS ARE NO MORE

      It's okay. They're losing control of The Narrative, and they're scared. They'll do and say anything to stave off their inevitable defeat.

      Be patient, the day is coming.

  5. Improving the world by phorm · · Score: 1

    So for those that think all Muslim or middle-eastern peoples are destructive terrorists:

    In 2004, Hadid became the first female and first Muslim recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.

    Here's a woman who dedicated her life to building great things, rather than tearing them down. I wish that more could use her as an role-model.

    1. Re: Improving the world by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Would the world have paid any attention to her if she were not a woman? Is that why she won that prize? There are no shortage of ugly, soul destroying buildings and public artwork out there. Sadly in 2016 we really do award major international prizes based on this sort of thing. I wish we would award prizes to people who enhance our civilization and not debase it, but my hope won't result in change.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    2. Re:Improving the world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree. She was a strong, powerful and intelligent women and the world is worst off without her.

    3. Re:Improving the world by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Wow! You are right. Before you mentioned it I thought Muslims were all terrorists. Thank you for your keen insight.

    4. Re:Improving the world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In the same way that "certainly not all Muslims are terrorists", "certainly not all of them are visionaries".

    5. Re:Improving the world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We should shut them out until we have a better understanding of their architectural proposals.

    6. Re:Improving the world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      God damn it just gets worse and worse in the comments, you are an even worse idiot.

    7. Re: Improving the world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And I'm sure there are probably hundreds of islamists that would love to blow her buildings up plus killing lots of infidels in the process...

    8. Re:Improving the world by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      Aww poor baby is mad.

    9. Re:Improving the world by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      She's a disciple of Oscar Niemeyer, the Brazilian brutalist architect, [see Brasilia]. She has not innovated anything.

    10. Re: Improving the world by Anonymuous+Coward · · Score: 1

      Would the world have paid any attention to her if she were not a woman?

      Yes.

      There are no shortage of ugly, soul destroying buildings and public artwork out there.

      Exactly. A lot of of architects that were much more hyped that her have designed things that are worse both from a pedestrian/user/sufferer and from a high-brow artistic point of view.

      wish we would award prizes to people who enhance our civilization and not debase it, but my hope won't result in change.

      That's very fortunate. We've already had geeks that tried to tried to eradicate the 'degenerate' art and then force their yokel's tastes upon everybody.

  6. Immigration and Refugee asylum by mrops · · Score: 2, Insightful

    At the time of her death, just a reminder that she also represents why Immigration and Refugee asylum is essential.

    Growing up in Iraq, she eventually migrated to Britain before creating a mark globally. Made the lives of many a little bit happier as art does.

    Listen to the xenophobes and such talent may not get the recognition it deserves and humanity would lose talent that could have been.

    1. Re:Immigration and Refugee asylum by CRCulver · · Score: 4, Insightful

      At the time of her death, just a reminder that she also represents why Immigration and Refugee asylum is essential.

      Zaha Hadid (after receiving a secular upbringing and attending an American university) came to the UK for graduate studies. I don't see anyone complaining about people who do that: indeed, the UK has made such foreign students a major source of revenue for higher education. I don't think that Zaha Hadid's case says much about the desirability or not of asylum seekers.

    2. Re:Immigration and Refugee asylum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whether it's terrorists or visionaries, you're still only focused on outliers, just like the xenophobes.

    3. Re:Immigration and Refugee asylum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      fuck off you retarded faggot

    4. Re:Immigration and Refugee asylum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nobody needs architects. The world needs engineers. Good riddance.

    5. Re:Immigration and Refugee asylum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nobody needs engineers either, just doctors.

    6. Re:Immigration and Refugee asylum by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Many of those asylum seekers are highly educated, some of them are even architects. We helped turn their countries into war zones.

      You should try to get past the asylum seeker label and realise that these are individual human beings, not a homogenous group.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    7. Re:Immigration and Refugee asylum by CRCulver · · Score: 1

      I am well aware that many asylum seekers are highly educated. I spent some time in Aleppo before the war and made the acquaintance of many members of the cityâ(TM)s intelligentsia: highly educated, secular, and Western-leaning. All of them ended up fleeing to Turkey, where now they feel they are wasting their lives in endless waiting, and it's a damn shame.

      But again, Zaha Hadid who came to the UK as a student, using a very different procedure that the UK had already had a long time to tweak, is a very different case than the wave of asylum seekers confronting Europe in the past few years.

    8. Re:Immigration and Refugee asylum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're the xenophobe. Why do Iraqis have to leave their country to do anything you consider worthwhile?

    9. Re:Immigration and Refugee asylum by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Many of those asylum seekers are highly educated, some of them are even architects.

      The vast majority aren't.

      We helped turn their countries into war zones.

      Did we? I'm sure their medieval religion and generally barbaric attitudes had nothing to do with it at all.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    10. Re:Immigration and Refugee asylum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      SJWs always lie.
      SJWs always double down.
      SJWs always project.

      Don't feed the left-handed troll. She (very definitely she, even on this site!) isn't honest enough to admit she's wrong.

    11. Re:Immigration and Refugee asylum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      sod off, you misogynist little knobhead

  7. Bronchitis & Asthma are killers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They put enormous stress on the heart, but a bronchodilator inhaler can be a real life saver.
    Bronchitis and asthma attacks can happen quickly and require immediate relief.
    Unfortunately, in an emergency it is impossible to buy an albuterol inhaler without a prescription.
    The medical/pharma industry has created absurd obstacles.
    This is not an addictive opioid drug - even Sudafed is available without prescription.
    If you are able to buy albuterol solution, you will still need to buy a nebulizer, and this device also requires a prescription.
    A nebulizer is little more than a glorified aquarium pump atomizer with a prescription attached.
    To top it off the US pricing is, of course, many times the price in other countries.
    My wife had a sudden bronchitis attack and ended up going to a drive-in urgent care facility.
    They gave her an inhaler, antibiotics and a bill for $600.
    The next time we traveled to India, we purchased several inhalers for less than $5.00.
    We have never needed to use them, but it's good to know that she has one in her purse if needed.
    A visit to the doctor can take a day or two, and breathing can't usually wait.

    1. Re:Bronchitis & Asthma are killers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is definitely room for reform in medical equipment regulations, but remember it's just as important to ensure the actual drug is present and the materials are not toxic or otherwise damaging when used as an inhaler. You might want to get the cheap ones looked at by a professional to ensure they meet the need when they are required.

    2. Re:Bronchitis & Asthma are killers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Our inhalers were purchased from a reputable Indian pharmacy on the reccomendation of a reputable Indian doctor. They were manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, came in standard packaging and have the expected expiration dates.

      I appreciate your concern and don't doubt that some illicit pharmaceuticals do exist.
      However, the reason people are driven to buy from Canada, Mexico and other foreign sources is not because they want to outsource.

      This is typical of the artificial problems that have been created -
      http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/12/business/12inhale.html?pagewanted=print

      Unless you have a child with asthma or an older parent with COPD this might not seem like a big problem. Americans are being robbed by drug companies, and everyone who has investigated the problem can see it. This is one of the primary reasons for supporting "single payer" insurance, since it would put organized pressure on pharma.

  8. Architects by trybywrench · · Score: 1

    Strange, but in college I hung out with more architecture majors than fellow comp/sci folks (their parties were better). Her work is pretty freaking awesome even if I'm not knowledgeable enough to understand it the way an architect would. ...that's sort of the hallmark of a great architect I suppose.

    I worked in a couple architecture firms too while in college, I feel bad for kids coming out of architecture school. They're pretty much taught/told to be the next great architect then get out in the real world are are stuck designing Taco Bells and stuff. In Comp/Sci all you need is a laptop, inet connection, and a compiler to do great things but in Architecture, you have to deal in meatspace.

    --
    I came to the datacenter drunk with a fake ID, don't you want to be just like me?
    1. Re:Architects by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      With "great things" being very subjective, of course, with most people recognizing that most software is total crap, and the people who don't deal in meatspace write the most pointless and contrived software out there.

  9. Artisticly Defying Gravity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Never heard of her before, but what I saw via google was works of inspiration and beauty.
    She definitely leaves behind a noteworthy legacy for future generations to learn from

  10. Retro futurism by istartedi · · Score: 1

    I bet a lot of her work was considered "modern" at the time; but when I see this type of architecture I immediately think "60s" +/- 10 years I'd say this style was a big deal from '50 to '70 but by '80 it got tiring.

    I like a little modernism though. Remember WaMu? They were a bank that went bust in 2008 and got taken over by Chase. Their building in downtown Redwood City is arguably "just a cold modernist box", but there's something about the way it contrasts with the surroundings, and the way that it's landscaped. I like having a few of those things sprinkled about a city.

    Anyway, RIP to this "retro futurist" architect, and yes it's iffy that this is "news for nerds" but at least it's "stuff that matters" because we have to deal with buildings all the time.

    Not knowing that much about her, I hope she paid more attention to engineers than Frank Loyd Wright did. There's another nerd angle there--so yes, this story is a fit. It's not like she's a Kardashian or something.

    --
    For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
  11. Why was this Brit not in Brit socialist hospital? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Strange how when rich and influential people must have the absolute best in medical care they almost always come to the USA for treatment. This woman was British, and we are constantly hearing the narrative that studies prove "outcomes" are better in socialist european/Brit medical systems rather than the evil greedy American system. Maybe she took a wrong turn at Trafalgar Square and in her haste accidentally stumbled on transportation to the USA?

  12. Re:Why was this Brit not in Brit socialist hospita by hey! · · Score: 1

    Because she got sick in Miami?

    Seriously, if you need medical attention you're not going to Florida. And if you go to Florida you aren't going to go to Miami, you'd go to Florida Hospital in Orlando.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  13. Re:Why was this Brit not in Brit socialist hospita by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've never heard of anyone coming to the US for bronchitis treatment.
    It just wouldn't make much sense. More likely that she was in Miami when she contracted bronchitis.
    Then, while being treated in a Florida hospital, she died.

    I am aware of several friends who have traveled to the far east for surgical treatment.
    In every case, they were very pleased and recommended the doctors to friends.

    Last December I spent a little over 2 weeks in Brittan. During this time, I asked
    dozens of people to evaluate their health care system. I was amazed that not
    one person would trade their system for ours.

  14. Re:Why was this Brit not in Brit socialist hospita by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    According to the Miami New Times -
    "In recent years, she had become a part-time Miami resident.
    According to reports, she had developed bronchitis earlier this week and was admitted to a local hospital.
    She suffered a surprise fatal heart attack overnight."

    http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/famed-architect-zaha-hadid-dies-at-65-after-heart-attack-in-miami-8358833

    Google is your friend unless you don't want to know the truth.
        - Cheers

  15. The Makers by westlake · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why is a tech site celebrating this woman, because she used a computer at work? WTF, is there a feminist story quota on /. now?

    doesn't seem out of place to ask the geek to at least acknowledge the accomplishments of women in architecture and engineering. particularly as expressed in a body of work of such extrordinary audacity and technical sophistication.

  16. I like the concepts of some of her designs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I was going to defend the lady over other posts here that dismiss her designs as being horrible but I was looking through her designs on wikipedia and, to be quite honest, the exterior designs are pretty horrible. At first glance they look good but as you look more, they start showing their flaws. Take for example, the Contemporary Art centre, at first glance it fits the theme by looking like contemporary art but if you look at it more, the flaws like the choice of cladding show up more. The Soho towers in Beijing, they look nice at a distance, but as you look closer, they look rather crap - they would look better with a more glass and/or metal cladding to complete the futuristic look. With the right cladding they wouldn't look astray on the city skyline. The Vitra fire station looks like it is out of some dystopian novel with it's dull and lifeless concrete cladding.

  17. Personal experience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I've worked in a building complex designed by Zaha Hadid (the BMW plant office complex in Leipzig) and I have to say that concrete never looked so good. The design is timeless and beautiful.

  18. Unnecessary Muffness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this Daily Show segment. It's classic! http://www.cc.com/video-clips/...