Zaha Hadid
First woman to win Pritzker Prize
Most quoted
"I don't have a problem with being a woman, or being an Arab, or being an Iraqi. I have a problem with being a woman, an Arab, and an Iraqi in a world that is not ready for that."
— from Interview
"I don't think that there is a single style of architecture that is better than another. I think that there are many different styles, and they all have their own merits."
— from Interview
"I don't think that architecture is only about shelter, is only about a very simple enclosure. It should be able to excite you, to calm you, to make you think."
— from Interview
All quotes by Zaha Hadid (371)
I think that the most important thing is to be able to create something that is both open and enclosed, and that is also inviting.
I think that the most important thing is to be able to create something that is both simple and complex, and that is also elegant.
I think that the most important thing is to be able to create something that is both traditional and modern, and that is also timeless.
I think that the most important thing is to be able to create something that is both familiar and surprising, and that is also memorable.
I think that the most important thing is to be able to create something that is both functional and poetic, and that is also evocative.
I think that the most important thing is to be able to create something that is both practical and aspirational, and that is also inspiring.
I think that the most important thing is to be able to create something that is both rational and emotional, and that is also profound.
I think that the most important thing is to be able to create something that is both rigorous and playful, and that is also engaging.
I think that the most important thing is to be able to create something that is both strong and delicate, and that is also graceful.
I think that the most important thing is to be able to create something that is both solid and void, and that is also spatial.
Architecture is really about well-being. I think that people want to feel good in a space.
I don't think that architecture is only about shelter, it's about dignity.
The idea of the future is very different from the past.
We should create spaces that are fluid and dynamic, not rigid boxes.
As a woman in architecture, you have to be twice as good to be thought half as good.
Architecture should be generous and give something back to the city.
I never design a building before I've seen the site and felt the atmosphere.
The computer has opened up new worlds for architecture.
People think that I draw in a certain way, but it's more about the ideas.
Architecture is the art of reconciliation between ourselves and the world.
Contemporaries of Zaha Hadid
Other Architectures born within 50 years of Zaha Hadid (1950–2016).