Richard Meier and Zaha Hadid Exhibitions in London

Two architecture exhibitions in London contrast the careers of Richard Meier and Zaha Hadid. At the Louise T. Blouin Institute, "Richard Meier, Art et Architecture" (October 12, 2007 – March 3, 2008) showcases Meier's architectural models, plans, and photographs alongside his lesser-known design and plastic work. Meier, the youngest Pritzker Prize winner in 1984 (for the Getty Center, Los Angeles), adheres to a neo-modernist aesthetic of white volumes, glass, concrete, and steel, influenced by Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier. His design pieces echo Bauhaus, particularly Marianne Brandt's teapots, but the exhibition criticizes his literal application of modernism as nostalgic and pastiche-like, except for sculptures made from model debris. Meanwhile, at the Design Museum, "Zaha Hadid: Architecture and Design" (June 29 – November 25, 2007) celebrates her 30-year career. Hadid, associated with deconstructivism, initially produced radical, unbuildable projects like the Peak Club (Hong Kong, 1983) and Cardiff Opera House (1994), represented by abstract paintings. After winning the Pritzker Prize in 2004, she gained credibility and now has projects worldwide, including an urban plan in Istanbul, an art center in Abu Dhabi, and an opera house in China. The exhibition follows her 2006 Guggenheim retrospective and marks her triumph as an architect redefining domestic and urban space.