If there is one architect who understands the challenges that Dame Zaha Hadid faced in the upper echelons of architectural stardom, it is surely Frank O. Gehry. As last week’s news of Hadid’s unexpected death continues to sink in, one of the architect’s most prominent peers has spoken of her impact across the profession — and the special relationship she had with so many within the architectural community.
TIME recounts the highly emotional reactions of Gehry and fellow architect Joseph Giovanni, who met for breakfast on the morning of Hadid’s death and called Robert Stern “for a group cry.” Gehry was part of a group that helped Zaha secure her first major commission — the Vitra Fire Station in Weil am Rhein, Germany. For the following three decades, the two architects shared a warm friendship based on their mutual passion for avant-garde design.
“We just loved her,” Gehry said. “We’d just seen her a few weeks ago at Yale.” He and Hadid were teaching concurrent studios at the prestigious university in Connecticut. “It’s one of the things we do — we time them so we’re all together at Yale at the same time so we can sort of hang out.”
Left: Frank and Zaha at the YoungArts Backyard Ball, Miami, 2014, via World Red Eye; right: Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Patrik Schumacher and Brad Pitt gather c. 2003, via Plataforma Arquitectura
In many ways, Gehry and Hadid have been a dual-pronged force on the frontline of architectural discourse over the past quarter of a century. Arguably the original “starchitects,” they made a name for themselves with designs for instantly iconic cultural landmarks, and were both heavily influenced by the Deconstructivist movement, both having work displayed in the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition “Deconstructivism in Architecture” in New York in 1988.
Gehry is also familiar with the flip-side of such prominence. Amidst the adulation, both he and Hadid have endured an undercurrent of criticism from professionals and the public alike for what some perceive as stylistic extravagance. However, Gehry remains a strong supporter of Hadid’s work. He remarks that, at the beginning, Hadid’s brand of architecture was “not sought after a lot, and then she made it sought after. She created the niche and she went with it.”
Zaha Hadid at the 2012 Olympics Aquatics Center, London, United Kingdom; via Bloomberg
Gehry and Hadid attended the 2012 Olympics together, and the Canadian-American described how Hadid’s streamlined design for the Aquatics Center “knocked his socks off.” He reminisced about his experience within the space, lavishing the project with high praise: “It was so beautiful and fitted so nicely, and I thought it was right on the money, perfect.” Hadid’s response? “She just smiled a knowing smile.”
Gehry says that Hadid was “incredibly loved” by her peers and will remain at the forefront of conversations within the architectural community for many years to come. “In fact,” says Gehry, “I can’t wait to get everybody together and just get drunk some night and talk about her.”
For more coverage of Dame Zaha Hadid, check out the following features:
Unparalleled: How Zaha Changed Architecture
“You can’t teach architecture. You can only inspire people”: 10 Top Quotes by Zaha Hadid
How to Make Killer Presentation Videos: 13 of the Best Zaha Design Trailers
Frank and Zaha at the YoungArts Backyard Ball, Miami, 2014; via World Red Eye
