Zaha Hadid Foundation Opens Archive and Plans Museum in London
Under the leadership of Aric Chen, who began his tenure in the summer of 2025, the Zaha Hadid Foundation (ZHF), founded in 2013, is undergoing significant changes. The foundation, which possesses the former Design Museum building in London, is in the process of cataloguing an extensive archive of 300,000 items belonging to Hadid. A rebranding effort by Experimental Jetset and a renovation of the previous studio in Clerkenwell by Studio KA are underway, aiming to transform it into a public architecture center. A major retrospective exhibition is set to travel across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the US. Additionally, a symposium will take place on 30-31 October 2025, in partnership with the Architectural Association and the Serpentine, while an exhibition focused on Hadid's set designs will debut in October. The foundation is also addressing challenges related to building conditions and the digitization of its archive.
Key facts
- Zaha Hadid died in 2016 at age 65.
- Zaha Hadid Foundation was set up in 2013 with three objectives: education, archive care, and museum establishment.
- The foundation's archive is housed in the former Design Museum building at Shad Thames, London, purchased for approximately £10m.
- Aric Chen became director of ZHF in summer 2025.
- Zaha Hadid Architects was renamed ZHA in June 2025 after a court case.
- The archive contains approximately 300,000 objects, including models, drawings, and personal items.
- A two-day symposium is planned for 30-31 October 2025, in collaboration with the AA and Serpentine.
- An exhibition on Hadid's set designs will open in October 2025.
- The foundation's Clerkenwell studio will become a public architecture centre.
- The archive includes items like hand-painted coats and Prada handbags.
- Hadid's work includes the London Aquatics Centre (2012) and MAXXI Museum (2009).
- The foundation is working to catalogue the archive, which was inventoried to 17,000 objects at her death.
Entities
Artists
- Zaha Hadid
- Rem Koolhaas
- Peter Cook
- Patrik Schumacher
- Aric Chen
- Greg Lynn
- Manon Janssens
- Libby Sellers
- Catherine Howe
- Woody Yao
- Vicky Richardson
- Hélène Binet
- Es Devlin
- Carrie Mae Weems
- Vincenzo Scamozzi
- Inigo Jones
- George Nelson
- Issey Miyake
- William Sawaya
- Paul Valéry
Institutions
- Zaha Hadid Foundation
- Zaha Hadid Architects
- Architectural Association
- Serpentine
- Design Museum
- Vitra
- Sawaya & Moroni
- Cassina
- Thames & Hudson
- Yale School of Architecture
- Royal Academy of Arts
- Tate
- V&A
- Guggenheim
- State Hermitage Museum
- Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning in Shenzhen
- Palazzo Franchetti
- Experimental Jetset
- Studio KA
- David Chipperfield Architects
- Pritzker Prize
- Arc en Rêve
- Pet Shop Boys
- Prada
- Wallpaper*
- Apple News+
- Zaha Hadid Foundation (ZHF)
- London School of Architecture
- Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI)
- Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Shad Thames
- Tower Bridge
- Clerkenwell
- Bowling Green Lane
- Bordeaux
- France
- Cincinnati
- United States
- Weil am Rhein
- Germany
- Wolfsburg
- Rome
- Italy
- Antwerp
- Belgium
- Seville
- Spain
- Abu Dhabi
- United Arab Emirates
- Baghdad
- Iraq
- Beirut
- Lebanon
- Groningen
- Netherlands
- St Petersburg
- Russia
- Venice
- New York
- Shenzhen
- China
- Hong Kong
- Barcelona