The architect who created the £269 million aquatics centre has criticised “rude” Games bosses for not inviting her to a single event.
Zaha Hadid claimed she was not asked to the opening or closing ceremonies of the Games, or to any of the diving and swimming heats at her acclaimed building in the Olympic Park.
— thisislondon.co.uk
15 Comments
Not that she can't speak for herself, but that's plain terrible. I am sure it wouldn't happen to an Anglophile queen's man if he designed the building. What does this say about architects?
that no matter how much of a "star" you are in architect and other design professionals minds, you'll always be a service provider of luxurious items.
The cause for a greater public good that we try to validate our work is indiscernable and unnumerbale to the public. If architects had any real political or financial power/sway, we would have exercised it a long time ago in a real (not just meaningful) way.
We tell ourselves we are important, and generally speaking we are the only ones that believe it.
I wonder what the back story was on that...
i'm surprised we even have pictures of her standing in the building...
Hmm...perhaps the organisers are snubbing her for the project cost over-runs. Of course this also proves once again that the upper crust of Britain enjoys snubbing those 'service sector' knobs.
Do the organizers realize how bad this makes england look? I guess they are just keeping up there great reputation.
She looks great in that picture. Looks like she lost some weight.
exactly what i was thinking, Orhan. incidentally, i was watching this a few days ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDjSpNaRc6M&feature=related&fb_source=message
she comes across as quite guarded yet endearing in a way. and undeniably a strong character. i like... but then again, i'm not a protestant.
I am so not surprised by this at all. I frequently see full-page real estate ads in my architecturally-prideful city that specifically use the architecture of the building as the sole marketing ploy, and yet never once name the architect. There is currently a HUGE blanket-the-city marketing campaign going on by one of our local hospitals, which has just built a new building, and the entire campaign - including 60second tv spots! - goes on and on about all the ways that the design of the building makes the health care better, and that that's why you should choose the hospital - and never ONCE do they EVER mention the architect's name. They have ads all through the city on public transit, ads in local mags and papers, and TV ads, all specifically describing the quality of the new design, and how it makes sick people better. Just think about how SHAFTED that architect is!!
It makes me so angry every single time. Maybe I should write to them. In any case, yes, people seem universally to conveniently forget an architect was ever involved as soon as that occupancy permit comes through. It becomes "we designed this" and "our vision was..." Absolutely infuriating.
Also, tammuz, what would being a protestant have to do with liking Zaha?
well, the question would be : what would a background of protestantism (inclusive of anglicanism) have to do with not liking Zaha. its about a clash of sensibility. i will leave it at that as this can only be amusing for people from a consciously confessional sectarian background/culture (whether they personally subscribe to the related beliefs or not).
Im sure it is a case of the English old boys having a thumb up their asses
tammuz, did you find that video strange? the guy was so inept and zaha start to get really irritated towards the end. i think it started from he not eating fish and not showing any effort to engage her. can you imagine going out the dinner with someone like him? she spent more effort to make him look interesting. i think she would really be a fun person to talk to. i like to interview her someday.
lest someone blame her for being non-empathetic and impatient. i think he amused her, what with his pescaphobia. i think she might have been thinking of shoving down raw tuna down his throat..but not in a nasty way, just in an impish funny way to see him react. and she made me chuckle when she told her assistant that it would be his last hour in her life. i hope you do get a chance to interview her. take her out to eat stuffed sheep.
boy i wanted to slap him when he rather pejoratively drew out a similarity between lebanese and italians. that dead cold and pale germanic fish that doesnt eat fish :o)
I'm sure there certainly could be a back story to this. Zaha isn't known as a dragon for nothing. I once saw a video of her firing someone for ordering pink chairs for her office conference table.
Yet, to me, it seems the worst kind of pettiness to tout the building as 'designed by Zaha' and not invite her to a single event.
However, perhaps the Olympics committee really do get it and invited Patrick Schumacher instead...
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