Hadid, Zaha( 1950 )
Preliminary sketch, 1991 , Vitra Fire Station, Weil Am Rheim, Germany,
11. 7 16. 5 in., Acrylic and ink on tracing paperZaha Hadid continually stretches the boundaries of architecture and urban design. Dividing her con-
centration between practice, teaching, and research, ‘her work experiments with new spatial concepts
intensifying existing urban landscapes in the pursuit of a visionary aesthetic that encompasses all fields
of design.’ The 2004 Pritzker Prize winner, Hadid’s design is both innovative and provocative.^11 As
published in the jurors’ comments, the architectural critic Ada Louise Huxtable writes: ‘Hadid’s frag-
mented geometry and fluid mobility do more than create an abstract, dynamic beauty; this is a body
of work that explores and expresses the world we live in.’^12
Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Hadid began her architecture studies at the Architectural Association in
London and was awarded the Diploma Prize in 1977. Starting her practice in the Office for
Metropolitan Architecture, she taught at the Architectural Association until 1987. She has been teach-
ing at various schools in Germany, Austria, and the United States.
Articulating her theories on architecture, Hadid has won numerous competitions, including:
The Peak, Hong Kong ( 1983 ); Cardiff Bay Opera House, Wales ( 1994 ); Bergisel Ski-Jump,
Innsbruck ( 1999 ); Maritime Ferry Terminal, Salerno ( 2000 ); and BMW Central Plant Building,
Leipzig ( 2002 ). Her work has been widely published in periodicals and monographs. She has
received numerous awards, such as the Honorable Member of the American Academy of Arts and
Letters ( 2000 ); Honorary Fellowship of the American Institute of Architects ( 2000 ); and the
Commander of the British Empire ( 2002 ).
Hadid consistently uses drawings and paintings as exploration in her design process. These often
abstract slices and shards represent her approach to architecture. The images become the impetus for
conceptual stages. This sketched image (Figure 8. 10 ) demonstrates a beginning for the Vitra Fire
Station in Weil am Rhein, Germany. The commission was to build a fire station, and the program
extended to include the boundary walls of the site, a bicycle shed, and an exercise pavilion. The
building was developed to define the landscaped zone of the linear site. This resulted in a long nar-
row building alongside the street. The structure has been cut and bentto portray a ‘collision of
directions.’ ‘The space-defining and screening functions of the building were the point of departure
for the development of the architectural concept: a linear, layered series of walls. The programme of
the firestation inhabits the spaces between these walls, which puncture, tiltand breakaccording
to the functional requirements.’
The sketch, although minimal, reflects these concepts. The page shows several angled lines, pri-
marily extending from the lower left to the upper right. Most appear to be rendered with ink or water-
color and a brush. This gives a hazy, indefinite shadow to the lines, softening them and accentuating
the differences in thickness. Many of the lines are straight, although several have distinct kinks in them
to evoke the change in directions Hadid describes in her concept statement. The marks have been
layered nearly parallel to suggest motion, creating a tension in the spaces between.
This sketch is a beautiful and succinct diagram of Hadid’s thinking. The images, although brief
and abstract, present the clear concept of the walls that ‘puncture, tilt, and break.’ It is preliminary,
preparatory, and describes an outline of her design process.H5719-Ch08.qxd 7/15/05 3:51 PM Page 229