Zaha Hadid designed the Heydar Aliyev Center, which was built in Baku, Azerbaijan from 2007-2013. The cultural center flows, looking as if  the roof would flutter in the wind. The building won London Design Museum’s Design of the Year in 2014, which judges fashion, furniture, graphics, graphics, and transportation as well as architecture. Zaha Hadid was the first woman to win the award, and it was the first award toward the category of architecture. Again, her design stands out through its unusual shape.

The Upper Room, or the Cenacle, in Jerusalem is the traditional location of where the disciples of Jesus stayed immediately before and after his death, during events including the Last Supper and the birth of the Church on Pentecost. While it is not the most visually striking location in Jerusalem, it is still beautiful both architecturally and in meaning to people around the world. Small stained-glass windows let in soft light, and the columns and arches make the room feel small without making it feel crowded. As the traditional location of many meaningful events in early Christianity, many people across many denominations and nations visit it as a significant location. Several years ago, I went to Israel with a small group. We had a very short spontaneous service in this room, followed by an old hymn. Several other groups joined us, singing in multiple different languages. Multiple different nationalities sang the same song in their own language, celebrating together. To me, this small, relatively inconspicuous room represents the most moving experience I had on that trip.

Formerly Al-Wakrah Stadium, Al-Janoub Stadium was built from 2014-2019 in in Al-Wakrah, Quatar. The stadium was commissioned for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The massive stadium’s roof nearly resembles a tent fabric pulled over the stadium and held open to let in the sunlight. With the stadium, she did not have as much freedom to play with shapes as she had with her previous designs, but her style shines through in the graceful white roof. Zaha Hadid died suddenly at age 65 from a heart attack in 2016, and her unfinished projects were taken up by her business partner, Patrik Schumacher.

I went to First United Methodist Church in downtown Tulsa with my parents for much of my childhood. When I began middle school, we left the Methodist church, but I have many fond memories of my time there. The building has had many renovations and extensions over the years, and there are many different styles of architecture. My favorite part of the building is the sanctuary, where the beauty of the original church remains intact. Spires and arches tower over the door of the church, leading into a small entryway before opening into the sanctuary. Pillars lead the eye down the aisle of benches to the podium, which sits under a massive stained-glass window. My parents were married there, and it’s my preferred location for where my fiancé and I will get married.

My mother has worked for Broken Arrow Public Schools for more years than I have been alive, both teaching and administration. For several years, she worked in the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center. The building is beautiful, sleek, and modern, and the offices are fairly spacious. Offices on the outer ring of the building had wall-to-wall windows, and I enjoyed watching the sunset from them after school while Mom finished her work for the day. The better-known room of the building, though, is the auditorium. Its size allows for a huge number of people, and there are wood panels along the walls that are both pleasing to the eye and function to direct sound and reduce echo. The ceiling functions in roughly the same manner, allowing for a more enjoyable experience. My family and I watched many high school plays there, as well as several professional performances.

The Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, designed by Zaha Hadid, was built from 1997-2003 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The museum was the first American museum designed by a woman. The building looks like a series of floating greyscale Tetris-like shapes. At night, the shapes are lit by lights along the top of the building as well as the windowed spaces between blocks, creating a pleasant variety of shades and emphasizing the shapes. Zaha Hadid designed the building with glass along the walkway, giving passersby the impression of window shopping and inviting them to browse the museum. The interior curves upward, again inviting people to wander further into the building and see the museum. With this museum, Zaha Hadid shifted from an architect known for designs on paper to an architect known for her built works.

Vitra Fire Station was Zaha Hadid’s first major built project. For much of the beginning of her career, she had many designs on paper, but her designs were seen as too radical and experimental to move beyond that. The fire station was constructed from 1989-1993 in Weil am Rhein, Germany. She used few colors and simple shapes but arranged them in an eye-catching way. There seems to be an effort to avoid right angles, making the building very unique, particularly for a fire station.

My birthmother’s family holds family reunions in Colorado every few years, usually in Pagosa Springs. Most of our family reunions were held at the Treehouse, a location available to rent. I love the style of the building. It meshes a homey log-cabin theme with the atmosphere of a childhood treehouse. It had enough sleeping areas for my whole family, the kitchen was large enough to cook for everyone, and most of the family could spend their time in the living room without it feeling crowded. While I didn’t put much thought into it at the time, the architecture enhances the atmosphere of comfort and wonder through the wood theme, the massive porch, and a perfect mix of private rooms and open space. I chose the Treehouse partially because I loved the atmosphere, but partially because my Great Grandmother hosted and paid for the family reunion. She died several days ago, and good memories I’ve had with her have been on my mind. The family reunions, and by extension the Treehouse, were meaningful to me, and I hope we can continue the tradition that she started.