“I am not an intimidating person”: Zaha Hadid’s successor on her style, strength and scare factor

Zaha Hadid Architects is looking to reconnect with London developers who were put off by the “perceived public persona” of its late namesake, Dame Zaha Hadid.

Practice director Patrik Schumacher told Estates Gazette said that misconceptions of the Iraqi architect among developers in the UK capital blighted her practice’s attempts to win work in the city for years.

“There was a scare factor. Though I don’t think there should have been.”

Hadid’s closest confidant for thirty years, Schumacher has now stepped up to run the practice following the sudden death of the world-renowned designer at the age of 65 in March this year.

With a fresh focus on winning work in London he said that his “perceived more mellow and withdrawn personality” could be attractive to developers in the UK capital.

“I think Zaha’s perceived public persona and the way people saw her did prevent us from getting commercial work in London,” he added.