Stories of Architecturehttps://heni.com/Behind every great building is a story of ambition, imagination, power, rivalry and  sometimes extraordinary genius. In Stories of Architecture, architectural historian Jonathan Foyle, art historian Katherine Alcock and architecture critic Edwin Heathcote explore the people and places that have shaped the world around us. Some episodes follow the lives and careers of great architects, uncovering the influences, ideas and defining moments behind their work. Others tell the extraordinary stories of iconic buildings and monuments, from the Eiffel Tower to Windsor Castle, revealing how and why they were built, the people who created them and the events they have witnessed. From architectural masterpieces and engineering triumphs to palaces, homes and buildings that changed the course of history, Stories of Architecture brings the human stories behind architecture to life and reveals why the buildings of the past still matter today.en@HENI Talks 2026Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:05:00 -0000Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:05:00 -0000https://rss2.flightcast.com/efy1lj6mau4ezbloimaygirk.xmlFlightcast RSS Feed GeneratorStories of Architecturehttps://files.flightcast.com/workspaces/h19hkz2qpvqpctfc142923ah/01M4R9CXR83X00JQ0B0A1NACN0/sofarch_thumbnail.jpghttps://heni.com/Behind every great building is a story of ambition, imagination, power, rivalry and  sometimes extraordinary genius.

In Stories of Architecture, architectural historian Jonathan Foyle, art historian Katherine Alcock and architecture critic Edwin Heathcote explore the people and places that have shaped the world around us. Some episodes follow the lives and careers of great architects, uncovering the influences, ideas and defining moments behind their work. Others tell the extraordinary stories of iconic buildings and monuments, from the Eiffel Tower to Windsor Castle, revealing how and why they were built, the people who created them and the events they have witnessed.

From architectural masterpieces and engineering triumphs to palaces, homes and buildings that changed the course of history, Stories of Architecture brings the human stories behind architecture to life and reveals why the buildings of the past still matter today.

]]>episodicHENI TalksHENI Talkse.cahusac@heni.comBehind every great building is a story of ambition, imagination, power, rivalry and  sometimes extraordinary genius. In Stories of Architecture, architectural historian Jonathan Foyle, art historian Katherine Alcock and architecture critic Edwin Heathcote explore the people and places that have shaped the world around us. Some episodes follow the lives and careers of great architects, uncovering the influences, ideas and defining moments behind their work. Others tell the extraordinary stories of iconic buildings and monuments, from the Eiffel Tower to Windsor Castle, revealing how and why they were built, the people who created them and the events they have witnessed. From architectural masterpieces and engineering triumphs to palaces, homes and buildings that changed the course of history, Stories of Architecture brings the human stories behind architecture to life and reveals why the buildings of the past still matter today.Stories of buildings that shaped our world.falsearchitect, architecture, history, history of architecture, history of art, art history, design, history of design, country houses, churches, church, stately home, building, buildings, city, cities, monument, monuments, lifestyle, engineering, engineer, artnoZaha Hadid - Building The Impossible - Part 2In the second episode of Stories of Architecture,  Jonathan Foyle and Edwin Heathcote explore Zaha Hadid’s remarkable transformation from an architect celebrated for her ideas into a global superstar whose buildings challenged everything we thought architecture could be. From her groundbreaking Vitra Fire Station in Germany to the controversy surrounding her unbuilt Cardiff Opera House, they follow the triumphs, disappointments and fierce determination that shaped her career. As increasingly ambitious commissions took her around the world, Hadid began creating buildings that seemed to defy gravity, transforming concrete, steel and glass into extraordinary expressions of movement.  Her genius cut short by her passing, she is remembered here for the architect who built the impossible. Video images used in the episode courtesy of HeniTalks Additional images used: Moonsoon 2 (Zaha Hadid Architects, Moonsoon, Dining area, 1990 © Zaha Hadid Foundation. Photograph by Paul Warchol) Eames chair, CC BY-SA 2.0 France: Rama https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eames_chair-IMG_4624.jpg Cardiff Bay Opera House, Zaha Hadid Architects, Auditorium interior, 1995 © Zaha Hadid Foundation Cardiff Castle https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_West_Gate,_Cardiff,_by_Paul_Sandby.jpg Wales Millenium Centre, 2023, DaHuzyBru, CC BY-SA 4.0 Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2000 Designed by Zaha Hadid,  BMW Leipzig, courtesy of HeniTalks Phæno Science Center, courtesy of HeniTalks Imperial War Museum North, CC BY-SA 2.0: pit-yacker https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Imperial_War_Museum_2008cropped.jpg Riverside Museum, Glasgow, 2011, CC BY-SA 4.0: Cutkiller2018 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riverside_Museum_Glasgow_EC2018.jpg Riverside Museum, rear view, 2012, CC BY-SA 3.0: Bjmullan https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riverside_Museum_rear_view.JPG Riverside Museum, front view, 2011, CC BY-SA 3.0: Editor5991 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riverside_museum_from_front.jpeg Guangzhou Opera House, CC BY-SA 3.0: Mraandthebigbrother https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guangzhou_Opera_House(Near).JPG Guangzhou Opera House, CC BY- SA 3.0: trevor.patt Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion, courtesy of HeniTalks Heydar Aliyev Centre (right wing) CC BY-SA 4.0: Wertuose https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Right_wing_of_Heydar_Aliyev_Center,_Baku_Azerbaijan.jpg Heydar Aliyev Centre (interior) CC BY-SA 3.0: sefer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Interior_of_Heydar_Aliyev_Center.jpeg Heydar Aliyev Centre (interior 2) CC BY-SA 4.0: Emin Allahverdi https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heydar_Aliyev_Center_1.3.jpg Serpentine North, CC BY-SA 2.0: Fred Romero https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Completed_but_not_yet_open_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3590960.jpg Cutlery designed by Zaha Hadid for company WMF, 2007, CC BY-SA 4.0: Pittigrilli https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cutlery_designed_by_Zaha_Hadid_for_company_WMF,_2007_N.4.jpg Bench by Zaha Hadid, 2006, CC BY-SA 2.0: Alfred Essa https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bench_by_Zaha_Hadid02.jpg One Thousand Museum on March 2020, CC BY-SA 4.0: Teoamez https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1000_Museum_2020-03_06.jpg One Thousand Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0: Godsfriendchuck https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:One_Thousand_Museum_March_2019.jpg HENI Publishing Images: Zaha Hadid (with art by Iran do Espirito Santo), during the inauguration of MAXXI, The National Museum of the Arts of 21st Century Arts, Rome, 27 May 2010 Pet Shop Boys World Tour, Mod Hosts: Johnathan Foyle & Edwin Heathcote Editor: Sam Bond Music: Nick Ryan Social Producers: Grace Dewar & Eve Smith To buy The Zaha Hadid Interviews book, visit: https://heni.com/shop/books/the-zaha-hadid-interviews To see more films on Zaha Hadid, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOYuHEYBBrw Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction to Part 2 00:01:53 First Realized Building - Moonsoon Restaurant in Sapporo 00:05:42 Vitra Fire Station - The First Built Structure 00:09:20 Cardiff Opera House Fiasco 00:17:01 Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center - First Major Public Building 00:20:29 Serpentine Pavilion 2000 - First London Building 00:22:36 The Ski Jump and BMW Leipzig 00:25:57 Phaeno Science Museum, Wolfsburg - A Masterpiece 00:28:51 Maggie's Centre Kirkcaldy - Architecture as Care 00:31:31 MAXXI Rome 00:37:09 Guangzhou Opera House - The Opera She Finally Built 00:43:01 Building for the 2012 Olympics 00:47:05 The Stirling Prize Winner 00:50:53 Heydar Aliyev Center Baku - Billowing Beauty and Controversy 00:55:31 Design Beyond Buildings - Fashion, Furniture, and Objects 00:57:13 Zaha's Final Buildingflightcast:01M5W8DMNB5051K6YZD5WPZTYBWed, 11 Nov 2026 00:05:00 -0000Joseph LittleIn the second episode of Stories of Architecture,  Jonathan Foyle and Edwin Heathcote explore Zaha Hadid’s remarkable transformation from an architect celebrated for her ideas into a global superstar whose buildings challenged everything we thought architecture could be.
From her groundbreaking Vitra Fire Station in Germany to the controversy surrounding her unbuilt Cardiff Opera House, they follow the triumphs, disappointments and fierce determination that shaped her career. As increasingly ambitious commissions took her around the world, Hadid began creating buildings that seemed to defy gravity, transforming concrete, steel and glass into extraordinary expressions of movement.  Her genius cut short by her passing, she is remembered here for the architect who built the impossible.

Video images used in the episode courtesy of HeniTalks

Additional images used:
Moonsoon 2 (Zaha Hadid Architects, Moonsoon, Dining area, 1990 © Zaha Hadid Foundation. Photograph by Paul Warchol)
Eames chair, CC BY-SA 2.0 France: Rama
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eames_chair-IMG_4624.jpg
Cardiff Bay Opera House, Zaha Hadid Architects, Auditorium interior, 1995 © Zaha Hadid Foundation
Cardiff Castle
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_West_Gate,_Cardiff,_by_Paul_Sandby.jpg
Wales Millenium Centre, 2023, DaHuzyBru, CC BY-SA 4.0
Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2000 Designed by Zaha Hadid, 
BMW Leipzig, courtesy of HeniTalks
Phæno Science Center, courtesy of HeniTalks
Imperial War Museum North, CC BY-SA 2.0: pit-yacker
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Imperial_War_Museum_2008cropped.jpg
Riverside Museum, Glasgow, 2011, CC BY-SA 4.0: Cutkiller2018
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riverside_Museum_Glasgow_EC2018.jpg
Riverside Museum, rear view, 2012, CC BY-SA 3.0: Bjmullan
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riverside_Museum_rear_view.JPG
Riverside Museum, front view, 2011, CC BY-SA 3.0: Editor5991
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riverside_museum_from_front.jpeg
Guangzhou Opera House, CC BY-SA 3.0: Mraandthebigbrother
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guangzhou_Opera_House(Near).JPG
Guangzhou Opera House, CC BY- SA 3.0: trevor.patt
Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion, courtesy of HeniTalks
Heydar Aliyev Centre (right wing) CC BY-SA 4.0: Wertuose
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Right_wing_of_Heydar_Aliyev_Center,_Baku_Azerbaijan.jpg
Heydar Aliyev Centre (interior) CC BY-SA 3.0: sefer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Interior_of_Heydar_Aliyev_Center.jpeg
Heydar Aliyev Centre (interior 2) CC BY-SA 4.0: Emin Allahverdi
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heydar_Aliyev_Center_1.3.jpg
Serpentine North, CC BY-SA 2.0: Fred Romero
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Completed_but_not_yet_open_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3590960.jpg
Cutlery designed by Zaha Hadid for company WMF, 2007, CC BY-SA 4.0: Pittigrilli
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cutlery_designed_by_Zaha_Hadid_for_company_WMF,_2007_N.4.jpg
Bench by Zaha Hadid, 2006, CC BY-SA 2.0: Alfred Essa
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bench_by_Zaha_Hadid02.jpg
One Thousand Museum on March 2020, CC BY-SA 4.0: Teoamez
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1000_Museum_2020-03_06.jpg
One Thousand Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0: Godsfriendchuck
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:One_Thousand_Museum_March_2019.jpg
HENI Publishing Images:
Zaha Hadid (with art by Iran do Espirito Santo), during the inauguration of MAXXI, The National Museum of the Arts of 21st Century Arts, Rome, 27 May 2010
Pet Shop Boys World Tour, Mod

Hosts: Johnathan Foyle & Edwin Heathcote

Editor: Sam Bond

Music: Nick Ryan

Social Producers: Grace Dewar & Eve Smith

To buy The Zaha Hadid Interviews book, visit:

https://heni.com/shop/books/the-zaha-hadid-interviews

To see more films on Zaha Hadid, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOYuHEYBBrw

Chapters

  • 00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction to Part 2
  • 00:01:53 First Realized Building - Moonsoon Restaurant in Sapporo
  • 00:05:42 Vitra Fire Station - The First Built Structure
  • 00:09:20 Cardiff Opera House Fiasco
  • 00:17:01 Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center - First Major Public Building
  • 00:20:29 Serpentine Pavilion 2000 - First London Building
  • 00:22:36 The Ski Jump and BMW Leipzig
  • 00:25:57 Phaeno Science Museum, Wolfsburg - A Masterpiece
  • 00:28:51 Maggie's Centre Kirkcaldy - Architecture as Care
  • 00:31:31 MAXXI Rome
  • 00:37:09 Guangzhou Opera House - The Opera She Finally Built
  • 00:43:01 Building for the 2012 Olympics
  • 00:47:05 The Stirling Prize Winner
  • 00:50:53 Heydar Aliyev Center Baku - Billowing Beauty and Controversy
  • 00:55:31 Design Beyond Buildings - Fashion, Furniture, and Objects
  • 00:57:13 Zaha's Final Building

]]>Zaha Hadid - Building The Impossible - Part 2Joseph Littlefull3678false2In the second episode of Stories of Architecture,  Jonathan Foyle and Edwin Heathcote explore Zaha Hadid’s remarkable transformation from an architect celebrated for her ideas into a global superstar whose buildings challenged everything we thought architecture could be. From her groundbreaking Vitra Fire Station in Germany to the controversy surrounding her unbuilt Cardiff Opera House, they follow the triumphs, disappointments and fierce determination that shaped her career. As increasingly ambitious commissions took her around the world, Hadid began creating buildings that seemed to defy gravity, transforming concrete, steel and glass into extraordinary expressions of movement.  Her genius cut short by her passing, she is remembered here for the architect who built the impossible. Video images used in the episode courtesy of HeniTalks Additional images used: Moonsoon 2 (Zaha Hadid Architects, Moonsoon, Dining area, 1990 © Zaha Hadid Foundation. Photograph by Paul Warchol) Eames chair, CC BY-SA 2.0 France: Rama https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eames_chair-IMG_4624.jpg Cardiff Bay Opera House, Zaha Hadid Architects, Auditorium interior, 1995 © Zaha Hadid Foundation Cardiff Castle https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_West_Gate,_Cardiff,_by_Paul_Sandby.jpg Wales Millenium Centre, 2023, DaHuzyBru, CC BY-SA 4.0 Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2000 Designed by Zaha Hadid,  BMW Leipzig, courtesy of HeniTalks Phæno Science Center, courtesy of HeniTalks Imperial War Museum North, CC BY-SA 2.0: pit-yacker https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Imperial_War_Museum_2008cropped.jpg Riverside Museum, Glasgow, 2011, CC BY-SA 4.0: Cutkiller2018 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riverside_Museum_Glasgow_EC2018.jpg Riverside Museum, rear view, 2012, CC BY-SA 3.0: Bjmullan https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riverside_Museum_rear_view.JPG Riverside Museum, front view, 2011, CC BY-SA 3.0: Editor5991 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riverside_museum_from_front.jpeg Guangzhou Opera House, CC BY-SA 3.0: Mraandthebigbrother https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guangzhou_Opera_House(Near).JPG Guangzhou Opera House, CC BY- SA 3.0: trevor.patt Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion, courtesy of HeniTalks Heydar Aliyev Centre (right wing) CC BY-SA 4.0: Wertuose https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Right_wing_of_Heydar_Aliyev_Center,_Baku_Azerbaijan.jpg Heydar Aliyev Centre (interior) CC BY-SA 3.0: sefer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Interior_of_Heydar_Aliyev_Center.jpeg Heydar Aliyev Centre (interior 2) CC BY-SA 4.0: Emin Allahverdi https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heydar_Aliyev_Center_1.3.jpg Serpentine North, CC BY-SA 2.0: Fred Romero https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Completed_but_not_yet_open_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3590960.jpg Cutlery designed by Zaha Hadid for company WMF, 2007, CC BY-SA 4.0: Pittigrilli https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cutlery_designed_by_Zaha_Hadid_for_company_WMF,_2007_N.4.jpg Bench by Zaha Hadid, 2006, CC BY-SA 2.0: Alfred Essa https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bench_by_Zaha_Hadid02.jpg One Thousand Museum on March 2020, CC BY-SA 4.0: Teoamez https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1000_Museum_2020-03_06.jpg One Thousand Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0: Godsfriendchuck https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:One_Thousand_Museum_March_2019.jpg HENI Publishing Images: Zaha Hadid (with art by Iran do Espirito Santo), during the inauguration of MAXXI, The National Museum of the Arts of 21st Century Arts, Rome, 27 May 2010 Pet Shop Boys World Tour, Mod Hosts: Johnathan Foyle & Edwin Heathcote Editor: Sam Bond Music: Nick Ryan Social Producers: Grace Dewar & Eve Smith To buy The Zaha Hadid Interviews book, visit: https://heni.com/shop/books/the-zaha-hadid-interviews To see more films on Zaha Hadid, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOYuHEYBBrw Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction to Part 2 00:01:53 First Realized Building - Moonsoon Restaurant in Sapporo 00:05:42 Vitra Fire Station - The First Built Structure 00:09:20 Cardiff Opera House Fiasco 00:17:01 Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center - First Major Public Building 00:20:29 Serpentine Pavilion 2000 - First London Building 00:22:36 The Ski Jump and BMW Leipzig 00:25:57 Phaeno Science Museum, Wolfsburg - A Masterpiece 00:28:51 Maggie's Centre Kirkcaldy - Architecture as Care 00:31:31 MAXXI Rome 00:37:09 Guangzhou Opera House - The Opera She Finally Built 00:43:01 Building for the 2012 Olympics 00:47:05 The Stirling Prize Winner 00:50:53 Heydar Aliyev Center Baku - Billowing Beauty and Controversy 00:55:31 Design Beyond Buildings - Fashion, Furniture, and Objects 00:57:13 Zaha's Final BuildingZaha Hadid - Architecture Without Limits - Part 1How do you become one of the most exciting architects in the world before you’ve even built a building? In the first of two episodes, Jonathan Foyle and Edwin Heathcote explore the extraordinary story of Zaha Hadid; the visionary who would shatter expectations and transform contemporary architecture. From a cosmopolitan childhood in Baghdad to the radical world of London’s Architectural Association, they uncover the people, art and ideas that shaped her extraordinary imagination. Inspired by Russian Suprematism and Constructivism, Hadid created explosive drawings and paintings of buildings that seemed to float, fragment and defy gravity. By the 1980s, her audacious designs were winning competitions and attracting international attention, even if they remained stubbornly unbuilt. Brilliant, uncompromising and decades ahead of her time, Zaha Hadid was already changing architecture. The buildings were still to come. Images used in this Episode: Zaha in her family living room Iraq, 1950, Public Domain Walter Gropius and the office tower of the University of Baghdad, 1967. Frank Lloyd Wright, 1954, Public Domain Walter Gropius, 1954, Public Domain Gio Ponti, 1950s, Public Domain Perelli Tower, ca. 1949, public domain Martyr’s Square, Beirut, 1970, public domain American University of Beirut, 1970, public domain Architectural Association, London, Creative Commons 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:T01-Architectural-Association.jpg James Wines, Best, 1975, Kaaba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Creative Commons 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kaaba_%281%29_Makkah_%28Mecca%29.jpg Tatlin’s Tower, 1919, public domain, Creative Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tatlin%27s_Tower_maket_1919_year.jpg Kurt Schwitter Merzbau, Hannover, 1933, public domain The Walking City, Ron Herron, 1964 Centre Georges Pompidou, competition entry, 1971, Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers, and Gianfranco Franchini Rem Koolhaas, 1987, by Rob Bogaerts, Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rem_Koolhaas,_de_architect_wiens_ontwerp_voor_Haags_stadhuis_gekozen_is,_Bestanddeelnr_933-8710.jpg Alvin Boyarsky, 1978 Alexander Calder, Stabile-Mobile – Brazilia, c.1965 by art_inthecity via Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0) Conical Intersect, Gordon Matta-Clark, 1975 Bernard Tschumi, 1983 Casimir Malevich, 1925 c. Public Domain, Creative Commons Rotterdam Cube Houses, CC BY-SA 4.0: Renate Hano https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet_Blom#/media/File:Kubush%C3%A4user.jpg Architecton Zeta Malevich, 1926, CC 1.0 public domain HSBC Main Building, CC BY-SA 3.0: WiNG https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HK_HSBC_Main_Building_2008.jpg Philip Johnson, Public Domain, c.1963 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philip_Johnson.jpg High West and Victoria Peak from Victoria Gap, Hong Kong (CC BY 3.0: Daniel Case) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:High_West_and_Victoria_Peak_from_Victoria_Gap_(crop1).jpg Heni Publishing Images: Zaha Hadid (with art by Iran do Espirito Santo), during the inauguration of MAXXI, The National Museum of the Arts of 21st Century Arts, Rome, 27 May 2010 Zaha Hadid at The Sparkling Metropolis, 1978, Solomon R, Guggenheim Museum, New York, an exhibition organized by Rem Koolhaas and his colleagues Madelon Vriesendorp, Elia and Zoe Zenghelis and Zaha Hadid The World (89 Degrees) Zaha Hadid Architects, London, United Kingdom, 1983 Composite plan, Irish Prime Minister’s Residence, Zaha Hadid Architects, Dublin, Ireland, 1980, Ink and acrylic on mylar The Great Utopia, Tatlin tower and tectonic Worldwind, Soloman R Guggenheim Museum, Zaha Hadid Architects,  New York, USA 1992, Acrylic and watercolor on cartridge Malevich’s Tektonik, Zaha Hadid, , London, United Kingdom, 1976, Acrylic on card Zaha Hadid at The Sparkling Metropolis, 1978, Solomon R, Guggenheim Museum, New York, an exhibition organized by Rem Koolhaas and his colleagues Madelon Vriesendorp, Elia and Zoe Zenghelis and Zaha Hadid Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas and Peter Eisenman at the opening of the exhibition Deconstructivist Architecture, MoMA, New York, 21 June 1988 The Peak, Overall isometric, Day view Zaha cutting The Peak Leisure Centre cake at the opening of the exhibition Planetary Architecture Two, at the Architecture Association, London, 1983 Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas and Peter Eisenman at the opening of the exhibition Deconstructivist Architecture, MoMA, New York, 21 June 1988 Dame Zaha Hadid, 1991 Credits: Hosts: Johnathan Foyle & Edwin Heathcote Editor: Sam Bond Music: Nick Ryan Sound: Joe Little Social Producers: Grace Dewar & Eve Smith Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac To buy The Zaha Hadid Interviews book, visit: https://heni.com/shop/books/the-zaha-hadid-interviews To see more films on Zaha Hadid, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOYuHEYBBrwflightcast:01M4QTQPT6HHS0KF1PKV8SQHMXWed, 04 Nov 2026 00:05:00 -0000HENI TalksHow do you become one of the most exciting architects in the world before you’ve even built a building?

In the first of two episodes, Jonathan Foyle and Edwin Heathcote explore the extraordinary story of Zaha Hadid; the visionary who would shatter expectations and transform contemporary architecture.

From a cosmopolitan childhood in Baghdad to the radical world of London’s Architectural Association, they uncover the people, art and ideas that shaped her extraordinary imagination. Inspired by Russian Suprematism and Constructivism, Hadid created explosive drawings and paintings of buildings that seemed to float, fragment and defy gravity.

By the 1980s, her audacious designs were winning competitions and attracting international attention, even if they remained stubbornly unbuilt. Brilliant, uncompromising and decades ahead of her time, Zaha Hadid was already changing architecture. The buildings were still to come.

Images used in this Episode:
Zaha in her family living room
Iraq, 1950, Public Domain
Walter Gropius and the office tower of the University of Baghdad, 1967.
Frank Lloyd Wright, 1954, Public Domain
Walter Gropius, 1954, Public Domain
Gio Ponti, 1950s, Public Domain
Perelli Tower, ca. 1949, public domain
Martyr’s Square, Beirut, 1970, public domain
American University of Beirut, 1970, public domain
Architectural Association, London, Creative Commons 4.0
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:T01-Architectural-Association.jpg
James Wines, Best, 1975,
Kaaba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Creative Commons 3.0
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kaaba_%281%29_Makkah_%28Mecca%29.jpg
Tatlin’s Tower, 1919, public domain, Creative Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tatlin%27s_Tower_maket_1919_year.jpg
Kurt Schwitter Merzbau, Hannover, 1933, public domain
The Walking City, Ron Herron, 1964
Centre Georges Pompidou, competition entry, 1971, Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers, and Gianfranco Franchini
Rem Koolhaas, 1987, by Rob Bogaerts, Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rem_Koolhaas,_de_architect_wiens_ontwerp_voor_Haags_stadhuis_gekozen_is,_Bestanddeelnr_933-8710.jpg
Alvin Boyarsky, 1978
Alexander Calder, Stabile-Mobile – Brazilia, c.1965 by art_inthecity via Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Conical Intersect, Gordon Matta-Clark, 1975
Bernard Tschumi, 1983
Casimir Malevich, 1925 c. Public Domain, Creative Commons
Rotterdam Cube Houses, CC BY-SA 4.0: Renate Hano
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet_Blom#/media/File:Kubush%C3%A4user.jpg
Architecton Zeta Malevich, 1926, CC 1.0 public domain
HSBC Main Building, CC BY-SA 3.0: WiNG
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HK_HSBC_Main_Building_2008.jpg
Philip Johnson, Public Domain, c.1963
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philip_Johnson.jpg
High West and Victoria Peak from Victoria Gap, Hong Kong (CC BY 3.0: Daniel Case)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:High_West_and_Victoria_Peak_from_Victoria_Gap_(crop1).jpg


Heni Publishing Images:
Zaha Hadid (with art by Iran do Espirito Santo), during the inauguration of MAXXI, The National Museum of the Arts of 21st Century Arts, Rome, 27 May 2010
Zaha Hadid at The Sparkling Metropolis, 1978, Solomon R, Guggenheim Museum, New York, an exhibition organized by Rem Koolhaas and his colleagues Madelon Vriesendorp, Elia and Zoe Zenghelis and Zaha Hadid
The World (89 Degrees) Zaha Hadid Architects, London, United Kingdom, 1983
Composite plan, Irish Prime Minister’s Residence, Zaha Hadid Architects, Dublin, Ireland, 1980, Ink and acrylic on mylar
The Great Utopia, Tatlin tower and tectonic Worldwind, Soloman R Guggenheim Museum, Zaha Hadid Architects,  New York, USA 1992, Acrylic and watercolor on cartridge
Malevich’s Tektonik, Zaha Hadid, , London, United Kingdom, 1976, Acrylic on card
Zaha Hadid at The Sparkling Metropolis, 1978, Solomon R, Guggenheim Museum, New York, an exhibition organized by Rem Koolhaas and his colleagues Madelon Vriesendorp, Elia and Zoe Zenghelis and Zaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas and Peter Eisenman at the opening of the exhibition Deconstructivist Architecture, MoMA, New York, 21 June 1988
The Peak, Overall isometric, Day view
Zaha cutting The Peak Leisure Centre cake at the opening of the exhibition Planetary Architecture Two, at the Architecture Association, London, 1983
Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas and Peter Eisenman at the opening of the exhibition Deconstructivist Architecture, MoMA, New York, 21 June 1988
Dame Zaha Hadid, 1991

Credits:

Hosts: Johnathan Foyle & Edwin Heathcote
Editor: Sam Bond

Music: Nick Ryan

Sound: Joe Little

Social Producers: Grace Dewar & Eve Smith
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

To buy The Zaha Hadid Interviews book, visit:

https://heni.com/shop/books/the-zaha-hadid-interviews

To see more films on Zaha Hadid, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOYuHEYBBrw

]]>Zaha Hadid - Architecture Without Limits - Part 1HENI Talksfull2925false11How do you become one of the most exciting architects in the world before you’ve even built a building? In the first of two episodes, Jonathan Foyle and Edwin Heathcote explore the extraordinary story of Zaha Hadid; the visionary who would shatter expectations and transform contemporary architecture. From a cosmopolitan childhood in Baghdad to the radical world of London’s Architectural Association, they uncover the people, art and ideas that shaped her extraordinary imagination. Inspired by Russian Suprematism and Constructivism, Hadid created explosive drawings and paintings of buildings that seemed to float, fragment and defy gravity. By the 1980s, her audacious designs were winning competitions and attracting international attention, even if they remained stubbornly unbuilt. Brilliant, uncompromising and decades ahead of her time, Zaha Hadid was already changing architecture. The buildings were still to come. Images used in this Episode: Zaha in her family living room Iraq, 1950, Public Domain Walter Gropius and the office tower of the University of Baghdad, 1967. Frank Lloyd Wright, 1954, Public Domain Walter Gropius, 1954, Public Domain Gio Ponti, 1950s, Public Domain Perelli Tower, ca. 1949, public domain Martyr’s Square, Beirut, 1970, public domain American University of Beirut, 1970, public domain Architectural Association, London, Creative Commons 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:T01-Architectural-Association.jpg James Wines, Best, 1975, Kaaba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Creative Commons 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kaaba_%281%29_Makkah_%28Mecca%29.jpg Tatlin’s Tower, 1919, public domain, Creative Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tatlin%27s_Tower_maket_1919_year.jpg Kurt Schwitter Merzbau, Hannover, 1933, public domain The Walking City, Ron Herron, 1964 Centre Georges Pompidou, competition entry, 1971, Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers, and Gianfranco Franchini Rem Koolhaas, 1987, by Rob Bogaerts, Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rem_Koolhaas,_de_architect_wiens_ontwerp_voor_Haags_stadhuis_gekozen_is,_Bestanddeelnr_933-8710.jpg Alvin Boyarsky, 1978 Alexander Calder, Stabile-Mobile – Brazilia, c.1965 by art_inthecity via Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0) Conical Intersect, Gordon Matta-Clark, 1975 Bernard Tschumi, 1983 Casimir Malevich, 1925 c. Public Domain, Creative Commons Rotterdam Cube Houses, CC BY-SA 4.0: Renate Hano https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet_Blom#/media/File:Kubush%C3%A4user.jpg Architecton Zeta Malevich, 1926, CC 1.0 public domain HSBC Main Building, CC BY-SA 3.0: WiNG https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HK_HSBC_Main_Building_2008.jpg Philip Johnson, Public Domain, c.1963 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philip_Johnson.jpg High West and Victoria Peak from Victoria Gap, Hong Kong (CC BY 3.0: Daniel Case) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:High_West_and_Victoria_Peak_from_Victoria_Gap_(crop1).jpg Heni Publishing Images: Zaha Hadid (with art by Iran do Espirito Santo), during the inauguration of MAXXI, The National Museum of the Arts of 21st Century Arts, Rome, 27 May 2010 Zaha Hadid at The Sparkling Metropolis, 1978, Solomon R, Guggenheim Museum, New York, an exhibition organized by Rem Koolhaas and his colleagues Madelon Vriesendorp, Elia and Zoe Zenghelis and Zaha Hadid The World (89 Degrees) Zaha Hadid Architects, London, United Kingdom, 1983 Composite plan, Irish Prime Minister’s Residence, Zaha Hadid Architects, Dublin, Ireland, 1980, Ink and acrylic on mylar The Great Utopia, Tatlin tower and tectonic Worldwind, Soloman R Guggenheim Museum, Zaha Hadid Architects,  New York, USA 1992, Acrylic and watercolor on cartridge Malevich’s Tektonik, Zaha Hadid, , London, United Kingdom, 1976, Acrylic on card Zaha Hadid at The Sparkling Metropolis, 1978, Solomon R, Guggenheim Museum, New York, an exhibition organized by Rem Koolhaas and his colleagues Madelon Vriesendorp, Elia and Zoe Zenghelis and Zaha Hadid Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas and Peter Eisenman at the opening of the exhibition Deconstructivist Architecture, MoMA, New York, 21 June 1988 The Peak, Overall isometric, Day view Zaha cutting The Peak Leisure Centre cake at the opening of the exhibition Planetary Architecture Two, at the Architecture Association, London, 1983 Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas and Peter Eisenman at the opening of the exhibition Deconstructivist Architecture, MoMA, New York, 21 June 1988 Dame Zaha Hadid, 1991 Credits: Hosts: Johnathan Foyle & Edwin Heathcote Editor: Sam Bond Music: Nick Ryan Sound: Joe Little Social Producers: Grace Dewar & Eve Smith Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac To buy The Zaha Hadid Interviews book, visit: https://heni.com/shop/books/the-zaha-hadid-interviews To see more films on Zaha Hadid, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOYuHEYBBrwAn Introduction to....Stories of ArchitectureBehind every great building is a story – of ambition, imagination, power, rivalry and  sometimes extraordinary genius. In Stories of Architecture, architectural historians Jonathan Foyle and Katherine Alcock and architecture critic Edwin Heathcote explore the people and places that have shaped the world around us. Some episodes follow the lives and careers of great architects, uncovering the influences, ideas and defining moments behind their work. Others tell the extraordinary stories of remarkable buildings and monuments – from the Eiffel Tower to Windsor Castle – revealing how and why they were built, the people who created them and the events they have witnessed. From architectural masterpieces and engineering triumphs to palaces, homes and buildings that changed the course of history, Stories of Architecture brings the human stories behind architecture to life – and reveals why the buildings of the past still matter today. Hosts: Jonathan Foyle, Edwin Heathcote & Katherine Alcock Music: Nick Ryan Social Producers: Grace Dewar & Eve Smith Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalksflightcast:01M66TP77KBHGJJ65K2X4G2582Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:05:00 -0000HENI TalksBehind every great building is a story – of ambition, imagination, power, rivalry and  sometimes extraordinary genius.

In Stories of Architecture, architectural historians Jonathan Foyle and Katherine Alcock and architecture critic Edwin Heathcote explore the people and places that have shaped the world around us. Some episodes follow the lives and careers of great architects, uncovering the influences, ideas and defining moments behind their work. Others tell the extraordinary stories of remarkable buildings and monuments – from the Eiffel Tower to Windsor Castle – revealing how and why they were built, the people who created them and the events they have witnessed.

From architectural masterpieces and engineering triumphs to palaces, homes and buildings that changed the course of history, Stories of Architecture brings the human stories behind architecture to life – and reveals why the buildings of the past still matter today.

Hosts: Jonathan Foyle, Edwin Heathcote & Katherine Alcock
Music: Nick Ryan
Social Producers: Grace Dewar & Eve Smith
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

]]>An Introduction to....Stories of ArchitectureHENI Talksfull160false11Behind every great building is a story – of ambition, imagination, power, rivalry and  sometimes extraordinary genius. In Stories of Architecture, architectural historians Jonathan Foyle and Katherine Alcock and architecture critic Edwin Heathcote explore the people and places that have shaped the world around us. Some episodes follow the lives and careers of great architects, uncovering the influences, ideas and defining moments behind their work. Others tell the extraordinary stories of remarkable buildings and monuments – from the Eiffel Tower to Windsor Castle – revealing how and why they were built, the people who created them and the events they have witnessed. From architectural masterpieces and engineering triumphs to palaces, homes and buildings that changed the course of history, Stories of Architecture brings the human stories behind architecture to life – and reveals why the buildings of the past still matter today. Hosts: Jonathan Foyle, Edwin Heathcote & Katherine Alcock Music: Nick Ryan Social Producers: Grace Dewar & Eve Smith Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac For more great art content visit www.heni.com or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks