“When you are overworked and exhausted, there is a sense of kind of delirium and that's why I think architects do all-nighters and they kind of do those deadlines. For four days I remember doing four nights in one row with no sleep. I mean nobody, unless you are crazy, would do that, but you are totally focused on the project.”

Iraqi and British architect, artist, and designer

Dame Zaha Hadid was an Iraqi and British architect, artist, and designer. Born in Baghdad in 1950, she became a leading figure in late 20th and early 21st century architecture. She studied mathematics before entering the Architectural Association School of Architecture in 1972. Her work was shaped by Suprematism and the Russian avant-garde, and she used painting as a design tool in place of conventional architectural drawing. Across her career, she was known for an abstract approach that sought new possibilities for modern architecture.