Zaha: An Image of “The Woman Architect”

Abstract

Using as a departure point Bridget Fowler and Fiona M. Wilson's sociological reflections on the slow progress of women architects towards achieving equality within the profession, as published in their essay, “Women Architects and Their Discontents”, the aim of this article is to examine the image of Zaha Hadid in relation to Despina Stratigakos' arguments about what “a woman architect” looks like today. By referring to the feminist theories of Simone de Beauvoir, Stratigakos and Rochelle Martin, this article uses the image of Hadid to examine, firstly, the relationship women architects have with work and mothering; secondly, the image of the woman architect in relation to that of the male architect; and thirdly, the effects that the image of “the architect” has on gender traits and the practices of women architects.