Zaha Hadid, Iraqi-British architect, dies suddenly at 65

Projects included London Aquatics Centre, MAXXI museum in Rome

Image | Britain Obit Zaha Hadid

Caption: Hadid, whose modernist, futuristic designs included the swooping aquatic center for the 2012 London Olympics, died Thursday at the age of 65. (Kevork Djansezian/AP)

Internationally renowned Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, whose designs included the London Aquatics Centre used in the 2012 summer Olympics, has died aged 65, her company said on Thursday.
"It is with great sadness that Zaha Hadid Architects have confirmed that Dame Zaha Hadid died suddenly in Miami in the early hours of this morning," the company said in a statement.
"She had contracted bronchitis earlier this week and suffered a sudden heart attack while being treated in hospital."
Her projects also include the MAXXI museum in Rome, the Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku, and a condominium along Manhattan's High Line park.
"So sad to hear of death of Zaha Hadid, she was an inspiration and her legacy lives on in wonderful buildings in Stratford & around the world," London Mayor Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter(external link).

Image | Britain Obit Zaha Hadid

Caption: The London Aquatics Centre built for the 2012 Olympic Games, designed by Hadid. (John Walton/AP)