Zaha Hadid continues to rack up accolades most could only dream of, even after her untimely death. Today, her firm announced that the Society of American Registered Architects (SARA)'s New York Council has named Hadid's 520 West 28th Street its Project of the Year.
Hadid's first New York project, the High Line–adjacent condo building has served as a living reminder of the starchitect's legacy, a structure that, in Hadid's expert manner, both manifests her singular style and relates to its surroundings. "It’s sculpture inhabited," Tiago Correia, the U.S. director of Zaha Hadid Architects, said of the building in an interview with AD upon its official opening. "We made a building that very deliberately blurs the lines between art and architecture. That’s our way to pay tribute to the location, to Zaha’s work, and to the burgeoning lifestyle in the area."
Critics and enthusiasts alike have taken notice, and SARA's accolade is proof of that. The society, which operates 11 councils in 8 states, was formed with the intention of promoting unity among architects; its motto is "Architect helping architect." At its annual awards ceremony, the New York council also presented awards to System Architects for 187 Franklin Street and to Diller Scofidio + Renfro Architects and Gensler for the Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center at Columbia University.
