On her 72nd birthday, two exhibitions honor the design legacy of Zaha Hadid

Two ongoing exhibitions in America and the United Kingdom are offering a look at the diverse contributions of Zaha Hadid to the world of product design on what would have been the architect’s 72nd birthday. 

First established in 2006, Zaha Hadid Design (ZHD), the studio arm of Hadid’s eponymous firm, has been praised for a range of designs, including clothing, furniture, carpets, light fixtures, jewelry, and even electric cars that extended from her visionary genius for the design of buildings until her life was tragically cut short in March of 2016. 

Michigan State University’s Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum and London’s Roca Gallery are both observing the 10th anniversaries of their respective ZHA-commissioned spaces with exhibitions that work in harmony with the architecture to trace the evolution of ZHD from its founding to present-day collaborations with brands like United Nude and SLAMP.

Curated by its former director Dr. Mónica Ramírez-Montagut and ZHD’s current co-director Woody Yao, Zaha Hadid Design: Untold is open now in East Lansing, Michigan, and will run until February 12th. The Roca Gallery exhibition, Everything Follows, which includes a new furniture range made in collaboration with Japanese high-tech brand Karimoku, will open on December 22nd and remain on view through May 24th at its Chelsea Harbor location. Both are offered free of charge.

“What we have learned from Zaha — the integrity of her design process at any scale, the way she shared knowledge with the team, her bold curiosity toward new discoveries and her exhilarating creativity — are the foundations on which ZHD builds,“ Yao and colleague Maha Kutay said in a preview of the latter. “We strongly believe in collaboration; we see it as a catalyst for inventiveness through the exchange of ideas, talent and expertise from every party involved in the design process. It is important to always engage with partners, collaborators, and clients who share the same approach and are never afraid to experiment and innovate — each in their respective fields.”