If she builds it, they will talk. Such is the power of Zaha Hadid, the most lauded female architect in the world, whose avant-garde designs are equal parts captivating (see her gravity-defying opera house in Guangzhou, China) and controversial (see new renderings of her 2022 World Cup stadium in Qatar, which some critics say resembles female genitalia; “ridiculous,” counters Hadid). The Iraqi-born architect, a member of the 2010 TIME 100, says she sees herself as part of a project to “rethink the city” one building at a time. Whereas other architects may try to mimic surrounding structures, Hadid–now helming a staff of 400 people and projects in 44 countries–tries to draw inspiration from the people who will be using the building. “It’s not only about looks,” she says. “The way it engages with the public domain is critical.” Here, a sampling of her latest, greatest projects.
THE TIME 100 IS OUR ANNUAL LIST OF THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE. FIND DAILY UPDATES ABOUT THEM AT time.com/time100
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Write to Noah Rayman at noah.rayman@time.com