Zaha Hadid Architects rebrands as ZHA, ends foundation contract
Zaha Hadid Architects has officially rebranded itself as ZHA, unveiling a new logo and website. Patrik Schumacher, a principal at the firm, described this shift as a "natural brand evolution." This change comes as the firm wraps up projects started by its late founder, Zaha Hadid, who died ten years ago. Furthermore, ZHA has also ended its licensing agreement with the Zaha Hadid Foundation (ZHF), which had required a 6 percent cut of earnings, totaling over $27 million from 2018 to 2024. This move follows a legal battle over Hadid's $133 million estate, involving Schumacher, her niece Rana Hadid, artist Brian Clarke, and developer Peter Palumbo. A 2024 ruling allowed Schumacher to rename the office and terminate the contract, marking a new chapter for ZHA.
Key facts
- Zaha Hadid Architects rebranded as ZHA with a new visual identity and website.
- Patrik Schumacher called the renaming a 'natural brand evolution'.
- ZHA terminated its licensing agreement with the Zaha Hadid Foundation.
- ZHA will no longer pay 6 percent of annual earnings to ZHF, which totaled over $27 million from 2018 to 2024.
- Legal battles between Schumacher, Hadid's relatives, and ZHF started in 2016.
- Hadid's estate was valued at $133 million.
- High court judge Colin Birss ruled in 2026 that the 2014 contract was not perpetual.
- Schumacher said ZHA operates across six continents with 100 projects in development and construction.
Entities
Artists
- Zaha Hadid
- Patrik Schumacher
- Rana Hadid
- Brian Clarke
- Peter Palumbo
- Gustaf Westman
- Lorcan O'Herlihy
Institutions
- Zaha Hadid Architects
- ZHA
- Zaha Hadid Foundation
- ZHF
- ZHA Architects Limited
- Dezeen
- Chen Yidan Foundation
- Dezeen Agenda
- LOHA
- NBBJ
- Vivo
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Shenzhen
- China
- Tirana
- Albania
- Taipei
- Taiwan