黑洞社区

Zaha Hadid Architects is in good shape to survive the sudden death of its founder, Patrik Schumacher and Mouzhan Majidi have said.

The office is the busiest it鈥檚 ever been and there are plans to expand, they said in an interview with the .

鈥淲e want to tell the world that we鈥檙e still a viable, vibrant address for major work of cultural importance,鈥� Schumacher said.

Hadid鈥檚 right-hand man from the practice鈥檚 earliest days in 1980, he said he now intends to move into the figurehead role, saying: 鈥淢y ambition is to become more visible as a leader of the field to clients.鈥�

The joint interview is part of a concerted effort by ZHA to demonstrate its determination to survive the loss of its charismatic founder. It issued a press release today announcing the opening of its Salerno Maritime Terminal in Italy (illustrated) and another on Thursday about construction getting under way for a new exhibition hall at N眉rnbergMesse convention centre in Germany.

Last week it put out a statement thanking people for their messages of support and pointing out that it had 36 projects in 21 countries on its books.

Chief executive Mouzhan Majidi, who joined from Foster鈥檚 last spring, said there was a 鈥渉igh level of determination鈥� to complete them all.

He told the : 鈥淪he left us at the busiest time ever鈥� We feel very confident that we will carry on and go forward with her vision and her legacy and the experimental research she established in the office.鈥�

While Hadid was the figurehead, the work was a joint effort, putting them in a strong position as they faced an uncertain future, he said, adding: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not the master architect who dictates and says, 鈥楪o and deliver it.鈥� It鈥檚 a collective, it鈥檚 a team.鈥�

The practice recently opened an office in New York and is looking to add studios in Mexico City and Dubai, the New York Times reported. It is also keen to expand into aviation after winning Beijing Airport.