Zaha Hadid by Philip Jodidio traces the arc of one of architecture's most polarising careers — from early designs dismissed as unbuildable to completed landmarks that redefined what civic architecture could look like in the twenty-first century.
About This Book
For years, Zaha Hadid won prizes and critical acclaim while building almost nothing. Sceptics declared her parametric visions structurally impossible. This compact monograph documents how that changed: from the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati — described by the New York Times as the most important new building in America since the Cold War — to the MAXXI Museum in Rome, the Guangzhou Opera House, and the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympics. It is an introduction to a body of work defined by audacity, futurism, and an unwillingness to accept the constraints that governed modernist architecture before her. Essential reading for students and practitioners engaged with contemporary architectural design.
Key Features
- 96 pages of illustrated survey covering Hadid's key completed structures
- Text by Philip Jodidio
- Notable projects include the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, MAXXI Museum, Guangzhou Opera House, and London Aquatics Centre
- Published by Taschen, 2012
What You'll Discover
- How Hadid moved from critically acclaimed but unrealised designs to a global portfolio of built works across culture, sport, and civic life
- The formal logic behind her futuristic, deconstructivist aesthetic and its relationship to structure and material
- The significance of the Rosenthal Center as a turning point — both for Hadid's career and for American institutional architecture
- How Hadid's influence extended beyond architecture into fashion and broader cultural visibility, cementing her place among the elite of world architecture
About the Author
Philip Jodidio is one of the most widely published writers on contemporary architecture, known for his extensive series of monographs and surveys produced in association with Taschen. He brings a clear, accessible critical voice to complex architectural subjects without sacrificing depth or specificity.
Specifications
- Format: Hardcover
- Pages: 96
- Dimensions: 260 x 210mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9783836536356
- Publisher: Taschen
- Publication Date: 2012
Perfect For: Architecture students, design enthusiasts, and practitioners interested in contemporary parametric design and the career of one of the twentieth and twenty-first century's most consequential architects.