Zaha Hadid

Mary Ann Sieghart profiles Zaha Hadid, the world's leading female architect.

Workers have begun installing the roof on the Aquatics Centre for the 2012 London Olympics, the boldest British design yet by Hadid. But like the rest of Hadid's career, the wave-shaped building has not been without controversy - and it's projected to cost three times its original budget.

Iraq-born Hadid is known around the world, yet in Britain she is perhaps better known for designs that haven't been built - such as the Cardiff Bay Opera House.