Zaha to build in London.

Last month Zaha Hadid was announced as the winner of the design competition for the Architecture Foundation's new centre for architecture. Despite her international success, it was clear from her speech at the announcement party that she was delighted to be building in London. Recalling her time as a student, she described halcyon days of drinking bubbly on the Southwark river-bank, just a stone's throw from the competition site.

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The much-needed architecture centre will provide a new home for the highly proactive Architecture Foundation, housing exhibition space, events space, offices and the all important bar. In response to an awkward corner triangular site, the design team--lead by Christos Passas folded a concrete ribbon over itself to generate the structural armature of the building. This wrap holds a glazed atrium, orders the building's circulation and creates a powerful contrast between solid, void, enclosure and exposure.

As contorted as the building itself, an amusing twist to the story has also emerged, namely that Graham Morrison the iconoclast's nemesis--was instrumental in initiating the project. Having introduced the Architecture Foundation to his client British Land (who made the project possible by donating the site and funding the project's [pounds sterling]2.25 million construction costs), Morrison will soon have to face Zaha's unquestionably iconic Flatiron from his own Allies and Morrison office windows, every day.

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While Zaha walked away with gold, from a shortlist of eight, the distinguished judges (Rowan Moore, Will Alsop, Paola Antonelli, David Chipperfield, Nigel Coates, Mike Hussey, Nick Serota and Richard Lech) awarded silver to international collaborators a-Graft, and bronze to enthusiastic newcomers AOC (Agents of Change). For more information visit www.architecturefoundation.org.uk

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