Architect Zaha Hadid has been awarded the title Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to architecture in the Queen’s birthday honours list announced this weekend. The title is the female equivalent of a knighthood.
“It is a tremendous honour for me to receive this award," said Dame Zaha Hadid. "I would like to thank all my colleagues and clients for their hard work and support. I am delighted that architecture has been recognised in this way. My father went to the London School of Economics in the 1930s, and everything he learned at the time is why I have always leaned towards the UK.”
Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) projects in the UK include Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre in Kirkcaldy (2006), Evelyn Grace Academy in London (2010), Riverside Museum in Glasgow (2011) and London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympic Games. The MAXXI: Italian National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome was awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects’ highest accolade – the Stirling Prize – in 2010. ZHA’s Evelyn Grace Academy won the Stirling Prize in 2011.
