A study in the design process and use of montage in the architecture of Zaha Hadid

Abstract

Studying the Architecture of Zaha Hadid opens many questions relating to the method or the theory behind her dynamic architecture, with Schumacher describing her process as generative drawing proliferation followed by selection, while Betsky likened her to a cinematographer crafting scene. In this description, he touched directly or indirectly on some points related to producing the scenes and the settings of her projects. Yet, how these cinematic settings emerged remains unclear. This paper examines Hadid’s design method, focusing on her unexplored use of cinematic montage tools within her generative techniques. A theoretical framework was developed and applied to two case studies—the Vitra Fire Station and Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Centre—to investigate scene-setting and the site’s role. Findings show Hadid reconstructed settings by introducing conflicts that dominated the field’s centre of gravity, employing rhythmic, tonal, and over-tonal montage techniques in her radical generative methods. The study clarifies how cinematic principles shaped her spatial compositions, bridging the gap between architectural and cinematic theory in her work.