07/06/2025
Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas. Picture from the 1970s highlights Zaha Hadid’s early career at OMA, the firm founded by Rem Koolhaas, Elia Zenghelis, Zoe Zenghelis, and Madelon Vriesendorp in 1975. Zoe and Elia Zenghelis, as educators at the Architectural Association in London, played a formative role in shaping the early architectural philosophies of both Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid. Koolhaas, initially a journalist, was drawn into architecture through their influence and later co-founded OMA with Zoe. Zaha Hadid, as their student, was mentored by the Zenghelises, an experience that profoundly impacted her innovative design approach and set the stage for her groundbreaking career in architecture.
