Architect racks up near 拢3m personal expenses bill

Zaha Hadid鈥檚 popularity among clients in Asia and the Middle East continues to grow with the firm鈥檚 combined workload in the two regions up by nearly a fifth.

The Middle East remains the single biggest market for the business with the region accounting for 41% of the firm鈥檚 turnover, according to the latest report and accounts of Zaha Hadid Holdings which have been filed at Companies House.

Work in the region edged up by just over 拢1m in the year to April 2015 but its revenue from Asia was up by a third to just under 拢17m.

Overall revenue was up 4.4% to 拢49.6m with pre-tax profit up 6% to just over 拢6m.

The results also reveal Hadid herself racked up personal expenses of nearly 拢3m 鈥 from just over 拢900,000 last time 鈥 which were paid for by the group while the company also settled a personal tax bill of 拢161,000 on her behalf.

Among the schemes the practice is working on in Asia is a 45-storey mixed-use tower in Beijing while elsewhere in the Chinese capital it has designed the world鈥檚 largest passenger terminal at the Beijing New Airport Terminal 黑洞社区.

 

View from East gallery entrance: Science Museum Mathematics Gallery

Source: Zaha Hadid Architects

The new maths gallery at the Science Museum in London is one of the few UK schemes the firm is working on

 

Workloads from the US were down from 拢4.4m to 拢3.7m while the firm鈥檚 UK business accounted for just 拢442,000 of revenue 鈥 down from the near 拢1m last time, with its high-profile, new maths gallery at the Science Museum in London due to open later this year.

In a statement accompanying the accounts, Hadid, who last week was formally awarded this year鈥檚 Royal Gold Medal by the RIBA, said: 鈥淶HG achieved notable successes in established, developing and new global markets, while its completed worldwide projects demonstrate an on-going commitment to the highest standards of design, construction and sustainability.鈥

The number of staff at the business slipped slightly to 401 from 418 but its wage bill went up from 拢15m to 拢16.9m.

The accounts also reveal that the company paid an interim dividend of just over 拢1m. Accounts for its main subsidiary, Zaha Hadid Ltd, show that it paid an interim dividend of 拢4m.