Will the death of ‘starchitect’ Zaha Hadid bring life to more of her designs?

I wrote a piece for The Conversation over the weekend:

Zaha Hadid built a career that was both celebrated and divisive. At the time of her death last week, Hadid, 65, had achieved an array of professional accolades including the Pritzker Prize (2004) and RIBA Gold Medal (2015). But she was also caught up in controversies over major projects such as her now-rejected design for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium.

Hadid was a “starchitect”. Her designs for projects ranging from the London 2012 Olympics to the world’s largest airport passenger terminal in Beijing attracted international acclaim.

But what happens when a celebrity architect’s career ends abruptly, leaving numerous projects mid-construction, awaiting approval, or still …[read more]

 

[EDIT 5 April, 2016]

It seems this article struck a chord, as Architecture AU have picked up the piece too. The talented Sara Savage of RRR (102.7FM Melbourne)’s Parallel Lines programme has also asked me to chat live tomorrow (Wednesday, 6th April 2016, approx. 10:30am), so if you’re in Melbourne or want to listen online live, make sure you tune in!

Bank of New South Wales, Queen Street Mall, Brisbane

Bank of New South Wales, Queen Street Mall, Brisbane

One of my favourite buildings in Brisbane, the former Bank of New South Wales Building is now home to a modern Australian bank but shows minimal signage on the exterior.  The buildings pictured in the far left of this picture line the pedestrianized Queen Street Mall – many of these lovely buildings exist in facade form only, with entirely modern interiors and additions hidden from view.