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| Architect Zaha Hadid cuts short BBC Today programme interview | Architect Zaha Hadid cuts short BBC Today programme interview |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The architect Zaha Hadid cut short a tetchy BBC radio interview to mark her being awarded the 2016 Riba Royal Gold Medal after mounting an angry defence of her Qatar World Cup stadium and Tokyo Olympic stadium projects. | The architect Zaha Hadid cut short a tetchy BBC radio interview to mark her being awarded the 2016 Riba Royal Gold Medal after mounting an angry defence of her Qatar World Cup stadium and Tokyo Olympic stadium projects. |
| Related: Zaha Hadid: from Baghdad to global ubiquity (and the Riba Gold Medal) | Related: Zaha Hadid: from Baghdad to global ubiquity (and the Riba Gold Medal) |
| The British-Iraqi architect claimed there had not been a “single problem in the stadium in Qatar” after Radio 4 Today programme presenter Sarah Montague alleged there had been deaths of construction workers at the Al-Wakrah stadium for the 2022 football World Cup. | |
| “It is absolutely untrue; there are no deaths on our site whatsoever. I sued someone in the press for it. You should check your facts.” | “It is absolutely untrue; there are no deaths on our site whatsoever. I sued someone in the press for it. You should check your facts.” |
| Hadid was challenged about her bid to build the main stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and walked out of the interview after Montague said the programme was running out of time for her to explain why the project had been abandoned. | Hadid was challenged about her bid to build the main stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and walked out of the interview after Montague said the programme was running out of time for her to explain why the project had been abandoned. |
| Last week it was reported that Hadid had decided not to continue with her bid to build the Tokyo stadium, after her initial design was scrapped amid ballooning costs and the architect could find no construction company to work with on a new design. | Last week it was reported that Hadid had decided not to continue with her bid to build the Tokyo stadium, after her initial design was scrapped amid ballooning costs and the architect could find no construction company to work with on a new design. |
| “I didn’t pull out of the Japanese project,” Hadid said, contradicting the premise of Montague’s question. “It’s a very serious story. It’s a scandal. We won this competition three years ago, it was an international competition entered by many Japanese architects and we won it …” | “I didn’t pull out of the Japanese project,” Hadid said, contradicting the premise of Montague’s question. “It’s a very serious story. It’s a scandal. We won this competition three years ago, it was an international competition entered by many Japanese architects and we won it …” |
| Interrupted by the presenter, who asked Hadid to respond to the allegation the Japanese prime minister pulled the plug on the stadium because of high costs, Hadid walked out of the interview. “Don’t ask me a question if you don’t want [me] to answer,” she said. “Let’s stop this conversation right now.” | Interrupted by the presenter, who asked Hadid to respond to the allegation the Japanese prime minister pulled the plug on the stadium because of high costs, Hadid walked out of the interview. “Don’t ask me a question if you don’t want [me] to answer,” she said. “Let’s stop this conversation right now.” |
| The Qatari government says the figure used by Montague that 1,200 migrant workers have died in Qatar since it was awarded the World Cup in 2010 is categorically untrue. Human rights groups have used figures showing high numbers of construction workers’ deaths because they say much of Qatar’s current construction boom is motivated by the World Cup, and so they claim deaths on projects such as roads and hotels should be included when monitoring fatalities. | The Qatari government says the figure used by Montague that 1,200 migrant workers have died in Qatar since it was awarded the World Cup in 2010 is categorically untrue. Human rights groups have used figures showing high numbers of construction workers’ deaths because they say much of Qatar’s current construction boom is motivated by the World Cup, and so they claim deaths on projects such as roads and hotels should be included when monitoring fatalities. |
| The number of deaths of construction workers who were directly building the Hadid-designed stadium is unknown, but Qatar says there have been zero. | The number of deaths of construction workers who were directly building the Hadid-designed stadium is unknown, but Qatar says there have been zero. |
| Much of the online reaction to the interview came out in favour of Hadid. | Much of the online reaction to the interview came out in favour of Hadid. |
| @BBCr4today poor interview with Zaha Hadid 1st Q about sexism, turned off is she not good enough to discuss any achievements? | @BBCr4today poor interview with Zaha Hadid 1st Q about sexism, turned off is she not good enough to discuss any achievements? |
| Totally understand Zaha Hadid's reaction on @BBCr4today. It was supposed to positive story & @Sarah_Montague focused on negative questions. | Totally understand Zaha Hadid's reaction on @BBCr4today. It was supposed to positive story & @Sarah_Montague focused on negative questions. |
| Well Today programme don't bring Zaha Hadid on say she's scary & then don't do your research properly! | Well Today programme don't bring Zaha Hadid on say she's scary & then don't do your research properly! |
| Earlier in the interview, Hadid seemed uneasy about answering questions on sexism in the architecture industry, as well as her 2016 Royal Gold Medal citation written by Prof Sir Peter Cook, which described her as a “scary” character. | Earlier in the interview, Hadid seemed uneasy about answering questions on sexism in the architecture industry, as well as her 2016 Royal Gold Medal citation written by Prof Sir Peter Cook, which described her as a “scary” character. |
| “I don’t have any examples,” she said when asked to expand on earlier comments about prejudice in the industry. | “I don’t have any examples,” she said when asked to expand on earlier comments about prejudice in the industry. |
| “I think it is a lot better. I was always considered on the margins, I was not part of the so-called establishment. I can’t go to men’s clubs or go golfing. But I don’t mind it, I think I have always been on the edge and I don’t mind being on the edge.” | “I think it is a lot better. I was always considered on the margins, I was not part of the so-called establishment. I can’t go to men’s clubs or go golfing. But I don’t mind it, I think I have always been on the edge and I don’t mind being on the edge.” |
| Hadid had earlier been announced as the 2016 recipient of the Riba Royal Gold Medal, one of the highest accolades in the profession. The first woman to be awarded the prestigious gong in her own right, the 64-year-old earned a place as one of the most sought-after architects in the world, having bestowed her trademark blobs on cityscapes from Baku to Guangzhou. | Hadid had earlier been announced as the 2016 recipient of the Riba Royal Gold Medal, one of the highest accolades in the profession. The first woman to be awarded the prestigious gong in her own right, the 64-year-old earned a place as one of the most sought-after architects in the world, having bestowed her trademark blobs on cityscapes from Baku to Guangzhou. |