Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi-British architect whose bold and sweeping designs defied the limits of gravity and convention, passed away on March 31, 2016, leaving behind a legacy that will forever transform the built world. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Hadid studied mathematics as an undergraduate before pursuing architecture at the Architectural Association in London, where she trained under the legendary Rem Koolhaas. She famously declared, "I don't make nice little buildings" — and she never did.
Hadid became the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004, the highest honor in the field, shattering the glass ceiling for female architects worldwide. Her works, characterized by fluid forms and deconstructivist geometry, were as massive and expensive as they were breathtaking. From the MAXXI Museum in Rome to the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, her buildings continue to inspire generations of architects — particularly women who now dare to dream bigger because she did first.