Gong! It’s a Royal Gold Medal for Dame Zaha Hadid
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

The London-based, internationally renowned architect Zaha Hadid has become the first female recipient of the RIBA Royal Gold Medal, awarded annually to a professional in recognition of a lifetime's work.
Not that this is the only reason we admire Hadid – her dynamic work has been creating a stir in the world of architecture ever since she entered the scene, over 30 years ago. Her first widely acclaimed completed project was the Vitra Fire Station in Weil Am Rhein, Germany (1993) and she has subsequently produced highly praised work such as the Bergisel Ski Jump in Innsbruck (1999–2002) and the London Aquatics Centre, created for the 2012 Olympic Games. Her built work is evenly matched by her striking drawings and conceptual work.
The honour, is 'approved personally by Her Majesty The Queen' and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence 'either directly or indirectly on the advancement of architecture', explains the RIBA. Hadid is in good company; Le Corbusier, Frank Gehry, Frank Lloyd Wright and Herzog and de Meuron are among the myriad distinguised names to have received the accolade over the years.
'I am very proud to be awarded the Royal Gold Medal; in particular, to be the first woman to receive the honour in her own right,' says Hadid. The Baghdad-born architect also spoke of the challenges faced by her practice.
Working with her business partner Patrik Schumacher, Hadid is known for using cutting edge technologies and merging seamlessly furniture, building and landscape design to create masterpieces all over the world.
Hadid is in good company; Le Corbusier, Frank Gehry, Frank Lloyd Wright and Herzog and de Meuron are among the myriad distinguised names to have received the accolade over the years. Pictured: Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan (2007–2012).
Phaeno Science Centre in Wolfsburg, Germany (2000–2005).
BMW Central Building in Leipzig, Germany (2001–2005).
MAXXI Museum of XXI Century Art in Rome, Italy (1998–2009).
'I am very proud to be awarded the Royal Gold Medal; in particular, to be the first woman to receive the honour in her own right,' says Hadid. Pictured: London Aquatics Centre, built for the 2012 Olympic Games (2005–2011).
INFORMATION
For more information, visit Zaha Hadid’s website (opens in new tab)
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).
-
Berlinde de Bruyckere on religion, chaos and decay: ‘simplicity is the territory of humans’
Ahead of her show at Hauser & Wirth Zurich, Limmatstrasse we speak to Belgian sculptor and visual artist Berlinde de Bruyckere on her show ‘A simple prophecy,’ on from 26 January – 13 May 2023
By Martha Elliott • Published
-
Under-the-radar bag labels to know
From New Zealand to Japan, get to know the under-the-radar bag labels eschewing trends in favour of long-lasting good design
By Tilly Macalister-Smith • Published
-
Rala Choi: ‘Now is the time to ask photographers about what photography is’
We profile rising star photographer Rala Choi, whose vivid, ethereal images draw on the legacies of art history
By Sophie Gladstone • Published
-
Two Hands nursery by vPPR is where design flair meets sustainability
Two Hands nursery in London, designed by vPPR, mixes colourful interiors and sustainable architecture elements with wellbeing in mind
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Is ProxyAddress architecture’s answer to solving homelessness?
ProxyAddress founder Chris Hildrey talks to us about architecture changing the world, and his pioneering initiative to help solve homelessness
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Sustainable Farnham house unites contemporary architecture and nature
A sustainable Farnham house in the Surrey countryside combines a secluded, sloping site with modern materials
By Ifeoluwa Adedeji • Published
-
The finest brutalist architecture in London and beyond
Can’t get enough of brutalism? Neither can we. Scroll below, for some of the world's finest brutalist architecture in London and beyond
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Wildfire watchtower in Cyprus offers prototype for the future
Built for the Department of Forests in Cyprus, this watchtower by architecture studio Anastasiou Misseri has been recognised in the State Architecture Awards
By Martha Elliott • Published
-
Looking Glass Lodge immerses its guests in British nature
Looking Glass Lodge by Michael Kendrick Architects is an idyllic woodland retreat in the UK’s East Sussex
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Brown & Brown designs Cairngorms house blending raw minimalism and nature
Spyon Cop by Brown & Brown is a contemporary home in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Is TOG’s The Black & White Building the most sustainable office in London?
The Black & White Building, London’s tallest mass-timber office and the first new-build project from workspace specialist The Office Group (TOG), is underpinned by a sustainable ethos
By Ellie Stathaki • Published