Zaha Hadid Architects rebrands as ZHA a decade after founder's death

BAGHDAD, Iraq — LONDON — London-based Zaha Hadid Architects has renamed itself ZHA, ten years after the death of its founder, the Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. The firm said the change reflects the natural evolution of its brand. Hadid, born in Baghdad in 1950 and a graduate of the Architectural Association in London, founded her studio in the British capital in 1979 and built it into a globally recognized practice. She became the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize in 2004, and her projects include the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, the London Aquatics Centre built for the 2012 Olympics and the Guangzhou Opera House. The rebranding follows the termination of a name-licensing agreement between the firm and the Zaha Hadid Foundation. Between 2018 and 2024, the company paid the foundation roughly £21.4 million under the arrangement. After a lower court initially rejected the firm's attempt to end the deal, an appeals court ruled in February 2026 that it could renegotiate the agreement or relinquish the name. The company has since formally adopted ZHA as its official brand. Studio officials said the new name reflects the collective work of its hundreds of architects and engineers. Hadid's legacy, the firm added, resides in her design philosophy and built projects worldwide rather than in any logo or trademark.