Starchitect Profile: The Legacy Of Zaha Hadid

Photo: Flickr—準建築人手札網站 Forgemind ArchiMedia

Widely considered the greatest female architect in history, Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi-British architect known around the world for her curvy and innovative designs, passed away in March after suffering a heart attack. In our tribute to the rock star architect, here are some of Zaha's most breathtaking designs.

Photo: Zaha Hadid Architects

Cost: N/A

Owner: Soho China

Location: Wangjing, China

Completion Date: 2015

This 1.2M SF office and retail complex caters to Wangjing's lively tech community, with the majority of the office space designed for open-plan options. The bottom floors of the three tapered towers contain a shopping center, and frame a series of new public open spaces, including a park and central plaza.

Photo: Zaha Hadid Architects

Cost: $20M

Owner: Documentation Center of Cambodia

Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Completion Date: TBD

The all-wood Sleuk Rith Institute serves as a record of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge, as well as being the premier Asian location for the study of genocide. The building's five wooden towers are inspired by ancient Angkorian architecture, and will include a genocide research center, graduate school, museum, document archives and research library.

Photo: Zaha Hadid Architects

Cost: $2B

Owner: Japan Sport Council

Location: Japan

Completion Date: N/A

Hadid's sleek design for this stadium helped the Land of the Rising Sun nail down its bid for the 2020 Olympics. The architect modified the design, and eventually called the project off after domestic politics threw up some roadblocks, and was replaced by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.

Photo: Zaha Hadid Architects

Cost: ~$500M

Owner: Qatar 2022 World Cup Supreme Committee

Location: Qatar

Completion Date: 2018

One of eight stadiums Qatar is building to host the 2022 World Cup, the 45,000-seat stadium is slated for completion in 2018, pushed back from its original 2015 finish date. The stadium's design is based on a "dhow boat," which Qataris traditionally used for pearl diving.

Photo: Zaha Hadid Architects

Cost: N/A

Owner: Melco Crown Entertainment

Location: Macau, China

Completion Date: 2017

This casino's mesh-like facade curves towards the middle to make a series of oddly shaped voids, giving the impression that the tower is a living thing. The project marks the fifth hotel tower addition to the City of Dreams entertainment complex.