People say I design architectural icons. If I design a building and it becomes an icon, that's ok. Zaha Hadid More Quotes by Zaha Hadid More Quotes From Zaha Hadid When I first came to Guangzhou in 1981, it seemed such a hard and dour place with everyone in Chairman Mao uniforms. Zaha Hadid maouniformsfirsts I am quite sensitive to politics, because you know, as an Arab, an Iraqi, all your life, you are very conscious of it. Zaha Hadid sensitiveconsciousknows The commission process in America and England is different. In America, they do it through an interview process, and it's really based on whether they like you or not. I mean, it's nothing to do with whether you do the best scheme or the worst scheme. Zaha Hadid differentmeanamerica My father was a politician, and a very important politician, and one of the leaders of the Iraqi Democratic Party, who believed in progress. Zaha Hadid partyleaderfather When I was growing up in Iraq, there was an unbroken belief in progress and a great sense of optimism. It was a moment of nation building. Zaha Hadid optimismiraqgrowing-up People don't talk to you properly. It's the way they talk to you; they dismiss you. I think it's a combination of me being a woman and a foreigner. Zaha Hadid peoplewaythinking I can't focus when there's too many things around. Whenever I used to go to the office, I used to always say, 'Tidy up.' Zaha Hadid usedfocusoffice I've always been interested in combining architecture with a social agenda, and I really think you can invest and be inventive with hospitals and housing. Zaha Hadid agendasarchitecturethinking You really have to have a goal. Zaha Hadid goal What's similar between Britain and America is the lack of good-quality civic buildings. Zaha Hadid britain-and-americabuildingquality I loved London. In the 1970s... it was very exciting, really wild. Zaha Hadid londonexciting In hospital, people should be able to have time to themselves. Zaha Hadid ableshouldpeople Half of architecture students are women, and you see respected, established female architects all the time. Zaha Hadid femalehalfstudents I like music. Country, hip-hop, R&B, sometimes classical. Zaha Hadid hipship-hopcountry I find industrial cities exciting. I like their toughness. Zaha Hadid toughnesscitiesexciting The spirit of adventure to embrace the new and the incredible belief in the power of invention attracted me to the Russian avant-garde. Zaha Hadid avant-gardespiritadventure It's not my duty as an architect to look at it. Zaha Hadid architectarchitecturelooks Life in the Middle East is quite different from other places. Zaha Hadid middle-easteastdifferent When I taught, all my best students were women. Zaha Hadid best-studentstaughtstudents If I'm in london it can be different than if I'm somewhere else. Zaha Hadid londondifferentsomewhere-else
