Book: Hadid, Complete Works 1979–2009

Taschen's titanic 'complete works' series gets a welcome addition in the form of a monumental monograph on the works of Zaha Hadid. Complete Works 1979 to 2009 charts three decades of an evolving aesthetic that initially seemed destined to remain confined to paper.
We have three of these titanic tomes to give away. Simply sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of this page before the 1st September, and you will be automatically entered into a draw to win.
Take a look inside Hadid's titanic 'complete works'
Early work
Hadid's early work was a breath of fresh air in the post modernist-clogged 1980s, at a time when hi tech was just starting to turn bland and the halcyon days of modernist exuberance were all but forgotten. It was also a pre-digital era, with Hadid making her very singular marks through the medium of painting, drawing on the heroic abstractions of the Russian Constructivists. Her work had to be deciphered; the tilting, panning and swooping we now all take for granted was taking place entirely inside the architect's head.
As a result of this complexity, real work seemed hard to come by. High profile competition wins translated into equally high profile disappointments, saddling Hadid with an unfair reputation as purveyor of the unbuildable. But then slowly and surely, the buildings began to arrive, with modest commissions like the Vitra Fire Station leading to larger and larger works.
Cincinnati's Contemporary Arts Center (2003) was perhaps her breakthrough into the big league, a cultural centre that was also an adept piece of urbanism, without obvious resort to the shallow, eye-popping iconism that subsequently became so fashionable.
The modern age
Working in close collaboration with Patrik Schumacher, as well as a veritable army of digitally adept designers, Hadid's work is utterly characteristic of the modern age; dynamic, flowing forms that create a kind of digital baroque, in love with spatial intrigue, material advances and, above all, the advances in computing and manufacture that have allowed a literal transition from screen to the physical realm.
Today we're almost inured to the many imitators of these extravagant shapes, as they make their way from lush computer renders to dramatic reality, joined by the veritable constellation of domestic goods that Hadid has had a hand in creating along the way. The originals are still the best, however.
The Complete Works
Complete Works collects them all, wrapped up a text by Taschen's regular architecture scribe Philip Jodidio. The large format gives her drawings, paintings and models room to breathe, leading you through 100-odd pages of architectural 'what-ifs' before the first built interiors start to arrive.
In the past five years, Hadid has taken her place at world architecture's high table, with the Pritzker Prize in the bag and commissions on almost every continent (although admittedly, there are plenty of projects here that may never see the light of day, thanks to over-optimistic clients in the pre-crunch era). Complete Works serves as a fascinating record of architectural fame, the slow ascent to recognition following by a glowing stardom that looks set to burn brightly for many decades to come.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture Editor at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018) and Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020).
-
Nail artist Ama Quashie on working with Chanel, Phoebe Philo, Alaïa, and more
Ama Quashie has mastered the craft of the manicure, fingertip by fingertip
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Wallpaper* gift guide: shopping with transport editor Jonathan Bell
From a spin on the Lego Ideas Orient Express to the world's most stylish e-scooter, practical meets playful in this on-the-go gift guide
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Bethan Laura Wood’s kaleidoscope of colours arrives at Melbourne’s NGV
‘Kaleidoscope-o-rama’ is a new exhibition by Bethan Laura Wood (3 December 2023 to 7 April 2024), the result of of her NGV MECCA 2023 Women in Design Commission
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Architecture books to inspire shelf love
Here at Wallpaper*, we’ve got architecture books piling up; among them, these are the photographic tomes, architects’ monographs and limited editions that we couldn’t resist
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Pioneering modernist Henry Kulka's life and career tracked in limited-edition monograph
Czech-New Zealand architect Henry Kulka, a man who spread modernist ideals half way around the world, is celebrated in Giles Reid and Mary Gaudin’s richly illustrated monograph
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Nordic architecture explored in Share, a book about contemporary building
Discussions about Nordic architecture and contemporary practice meet in a new book by Artifice, Share: Conversations about Contemporary Architecture – The Nordic Countries
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
London Feeds Itself: we are hungry for Open City's book on food and architecture
London Feeds Itself, a new book by Open City, is a scrumptious offering that connects food culture and architecture
By Nick Compton Last updated
-
The Sustainable City chronicles London’s eco design innovation
Urban areas provide the best environment for ultra-low-impact living; that's the premise of Harriet Thorpe’s new book, The Sustainable City, which brings together the architecture that's shaping London’s quiet green revolution
By Jonathan Bell Last updated
-
Montalba Architects' monograph ponders on space, place and building
Montalba Architects launches extensive monograph, ‘Place and Space’
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
House London is an insider’s guide to the city’s best architectural transformations
House London is a new book offering a peek into some of the best redesigns of the capital’s omnipresent, historical brick home typology
By Jonathan Bell Last updated
-
Three books chart the rise, impact, and scope of virtual worlds
Love them or hate them, virtual worlds are here to stay; and three new books explore their charms and challenges
By Jonathan Bell Last updated