Google Doodle has become a great platform to learn about and celebrate important women who might not be known to those outside their field. Dame Zaha Hadid, who passed suddenly away last year, was the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the first to be awarded the Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architect.
Today’s Doodle celebrates the Iraqi-British architect’s work in modern architecture, with Hadid standing in front of the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Center took inspiration from “historic Islamic designs found in calligraphy and geometric patterns to create something entirely new.” From buildings that didn’t contain a single straight line to ecological buildings that contained water recycling systems, Hadid designed truly original spaces that would contrast with their surroundings. She pushed fluidity and shapes far from we expect buildings to look like.
Her distinct and creative body of work also includes the Broad Art Museum, London 2012 Olympics aquatic centre, and the Guangzhou Opera House. My favorite building of hers is the Innovation Tower, Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Google includes interactive exhibits to accompany the Doodle in their Cultural Institute if you want to explore more of Hadid’s work.
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