BORN: 1950 (Baghdad, Iraq)

Not only a vanguard in contemporary design, but famously the first woman to win the prestigious Pritzker Prize, Zaha Hadid will be undoutably remembered as one of the greatest (while to some, possibly the most difficult) architects of the 21st century. Hadid is a tour de force. Her reputation for an uncompromising belief in her work may have hindered her career at the outset, but an interminable list of accolades acquired during her 30-year career testifies that strong character creates strong design.

This is her second exhibition at the New York Guggenheim (the first was held in 1992), and features images of her most illustrious work, such as the Vitra Fire Station, (1994), the Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati (2003) and BMW's revered production plant in Leipzig, Germany, as well as paintings and furniture designed by the architect for top European furniture manufacturers.