Combining elements from different styles, reinterpreting and blending previous trends, rethinking new ways of planning housing design and combining verticalization with sustainability is what confirms the non-obvious and plural character of several architects who have been marking history through their architectural projects. In celebration of International Women's Day , we have selected 6 great female architects who have left their mark on contemporary and modern architecture by exploring creativity, social awareness, technology and, above all, sustainability in their projects. 1. Jane Drew
Known for designing modern
social housing in England and abroad – during and after the Second World War – British modernist architect
Jane Drill made history by prioritizing
social consciousness in her architectural projects.
In partnership with her husband,
Maxwell Fry , the couple worked in schools and universities in West Africa; and with
Pierre Jeanneret in housing in Chandigarh, northern India.
2. Zaha Hadid
Iraqi-British Zaha Hadid is known for her intensely futuristic architecture characterized by curved facades , sharp angles, impulsive lines, and stark materials such as concrete and steel . Hadid's designs, many of which transform depending on the viewer's perspective , turn architectural convention on its head
. Centro Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijão, por Zaha Hadid / (Andrea Pistolesi/CASACOR)
Over the past two decades, her work has been honored with a long list of awards, including being the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize in 2004. 3. Jeanne Gang
Jeanne Gang is one of the most recognized architects in North America and was the first woman in the world to design a skyscraper . The architect sees verticalization, combined with sustainability and new technologies, as a good solution for the growth of metropolises. Aqua Tower, Chicago, EUA / (Divulgação/CASACOR)
Naturalized Brazilian,
Lina Bo Bardi is
one of the most important and expressive architects in Brazilian architecture of the 20th century. In her works, Lina combined the modern with the popular , showing that the modern could be combined with the simple. In addition, Lina is internationally recognized for incorporating culture, politics and sentiment into every project she has signed. O Sesc Pompéia, em São Paulo, obra de Lina Bo Bardi | (Pedro Kok/CASACOR)
MASP, Sesc Pompeia ,
Casa de Vidro and
Teatro Oficina are some of the architect's projects that changed and marked the country's history.
5. Elizabeth Diller
Considered by TIME magazine to be the most influential architect in the world , Polish architect Elizabeth Diller has dedicated herself over the last 30 years to constructing buildings and installations that challenge classical understanding by mixing art, architecture and the search for the social function of space. Provocative, the architect does not limit herself to creating just what is expected, but rather something that really impacts people's lives and makes them think. High Line, NY. Projeto de Elizabeth Diller / (Divulgação/CASACOR)
Among his main achievements are the Broad Art Museum in Los Angeles; the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston; and the famous High Line , an elevated urban park built on the tracks of an old abandoned railroad in New York. 6. Kazuyo Sejima
Transparency, lightness, clean shapes and smooth surfaces connect the projects of Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima . In 1995, the architect founded SANAA together with architect Ryue Nishizawa, an architecture studio in Tokyo that designs innovative buildings in Japan and around the world. 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art em Kanazawa, Japão. Projeto de Kazuyo Sejima / (Divulgação/CASACOR)
Among the architect's most important projects is the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa , Japan, winner of the Golden Lion in 2004 as the most significant work at the 9th International Exhibition of the Venice Architecture Biennale. Kazuyo Sejima was the first woman to be appointed director of the Architecture section of the Venice Biennale and the second to receive the Pritzker Prize after Zaha Hadid. La Samaritaine, Paris. Projeto de Kazuyo Sejima/ (Simón García/CASACOR)
