Zaha Hadid embarked on an incredible journey and a unique ideology in the field of architecture when she initiated her career. Her journey involved the evolution of her unique design philosophy which in turn, as her career progressed, reaped jaw dropping designs to the entire world. Being a budding architect myself, her fearless innovation and ingenious capability to take her ideas beyond anyone’s imagination inspires me phenomenally.
As students of the craft, most of us still hesitate to speak up in front of an academic jury panel or our own teaching faculty in the fear of being wrong, don’t we? A young Zaha would surely also have had similar trepidations. Yet, in an era transfixed around trends like minimalism and straight-line geometry, Zaha Hadid unabashedly ordained her designs with dynamic forms that amazed the world. This design philosophy followed by her was but a reflection of her bold and valiant personality. She keenly delved into a conceptual troika of fragmentation, explosion and abstraction. Her initial works were inspired from the abstract works of the Russian Avant Garde movement which later led her to hitherto unheard levels of creativity via deconstruction. Her design for the Vitra Fire Station in Germany can be seen as a prime example of her work which reflected this ideology. As something never witnessed before, her attempt at an angular composition of walls and a pointed roof give us a glimpse, not just of a fresh and unique approach to architecture, but also of her supreme self-confidence.
Her later designs involved doing away with the sharp edges and angles to develop a schema around organic and fluid forms. She explained beautifully in an interview that her ideas are a result of her observations; she carefully observed human behaviour from which she formulated takeaways to incorporate in her designs. Justifying the flamboyant curves inherent to spaces created by her, she proffered that her observations had revealed that ” life is not a grid”. This statement prompted me to internalize a valuable life lesson—that life doesn’t follow a linear path with neat right angles, but is rather a meander with twists and turns, much like organic landscapes and natural creatures. Consequently, her designs are relatable to many, as they capture the essence of life’s unpredictability and diversity. Her design for the Heydar Aliyev Centre at Baku in Azerbaijan displays a curvilinear form that is, again, an inspiration from the Russian Avant Garde highlighting ‘movement’ in the form. It is a harmonious convergence of form and function that Zaha Hadid has delivered. She challenged the entire current convention in architecture with her creativity, which in turn inspires students like me to share our creativity fearlessly.
All contemporary architects have embraced technology in recent times. Though certainly not an exception to this trend, Zaha Hadid stands out in particular for wholeheartedly harnessing its potential to craft bespoke marvels. Her design for The Innovation Tower in Hong Kong is celebrated for seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technology with an elegant form, thereby redefining architectural aesthetics. Yet, even before the advent of technology, she never failed to consistently impress everyone by presenting some of the most pulsating schemas in the history of architecture.
Zaha Hadid stressed on the idea of coexistence of site, culture and purpose. Architecture goes beyond aesthetics; it is deeply connected to the context and the surrounding. Reflecting on this, I observe that, as a student, I often tend to focus on any singular aspect of design during my design process, missing out on several other vital aspects as a consequence. However, an up-close encounter with Zaha Hadid’s process reveals to me the interconnectedness of site, culture, and purpose, presenting them as collaborative opportunities to shape our designs and address the inherent challenges on the site.
Zaha Hadid’s designs echo the unflinching life principles she follows. It’s not always necessary that getting to the solution of a problem has to follow the same unwritten laws, the purpose can be used as an opening to have creative solutions no one has ever thought of. It is because of this adventurous attitude towards her life, Zaha Hadid became the first woman to win the prestigious Pritzker Award in 2004.
Her journey as an architect, progressing from a state of fearlessness to maturity, serves as an inspiring roadmap for all budding architects. Her bold designs and mastery of parametrics challenge conventional notions of architectural beauty. Zaha Hadid has not merely reshaped the notion of architectural design philosophy but has also left a legacy that will benefit the future of architecture.
– Anushka Gangane
2nd Year student, Vivekanand Education Society’s College of Architecture