Under the leadership of the International Union of Architects, Architecture Day has been celebrated every year since 1986 on October 1st. According to findings compiled by design magazine Dezeen, only three of the world’s top 100 architecture firms are run by women. In honor of female architects around the world this year, we have compiled a list of 8 female architects who changed the history of world architecture. Who were they, what buildings did they design, and why were they so successful? Here are 8 top female architects who helped shape the industry.
1- Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham (1632–1705)
Often referred to as England's first female architect, Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham was a major designer of houses at a time when women were generally not allowed to practice the art. Wilbraham was not allowed on building sites and would send men to submit her designs. Although there are no written records, Wilbraham is believed to have designed around 400 buildings. These include some of the world's most famous designs, Belton House (Lincolnshire), Uppark House (Sussex) and Windsor Guildhall (Berkshire). Wilbraham was also the architect of the Staffordshire family home and Weston Hall, a property with unusual architectural details located in Buckingham Palace.
2- Marion Mahony Griffin (February 14, 1871 - August 10, 1961)
The first employee of the prolific Frank Lloyd Wright, Marion Mahony Griffin was one of the world's earliest licensed female architects. She studied architecture at MIT, graduating in 1894. A year later, Mahony Griffin was hired by Wright as a draftsman and had a major influence on the development of Wright's Prairie style architecture. Along with Wright, Mahony Griffin designed leaded glass, furniture, light fixtures, murals, and mosaics for many of the houses. She was known for her wit and distinctive laugh. She refused to bow to Wright's ego and forged her own path. Her works include some of the world's most famous buildings, the David Amberg Residence in Michigan and the Adolph Mueller House in Illinois.
3- Elisabeth Scott (September 20, 1898 - June 19, 1972)
In 1927 Elisabeth Scott became the first female architect in Britain to win an international architectural competition for her design of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. She was the only woman among over 70 applicants. Her design was the most prominent public building in Britain designed by a female architect. It was known in the press for headlines such as "Girl Architect Beats Men" and "Unknown Girl's Leap to Fame". Scott began her career as a student at the Architectural Association's new school in London in 1919. She graduated in 1924. As well as working with the Fawcett Society to encourage wider acceptance of women in stereotypically male roles, Scott was determined to employ as many women as possible to help complete the Stratford-upon-Avon project. She also worked with a predominantly female clientele. For example, in 1929 he worked at the Marie Curie Hospital in Hampstead and later expanded the cancer hospital to treat 700 women each year.
Although famous for his Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Scott later returned to his hometown of Bournemouth and designed the iconic Pier Theatre. The Art32 building opened in 1932 and drew over 100,000 people to see Edward VIII, Prince of Wales. Scott was a member of the architects' section of Bournemouth Borough Council and worked until he was 70.
4- Dame Jane Drew (24 March 1911 – 27 July 1996)
Continuing on from British female architects, it is undeniable that Dame Jane Drew is one of the most famous. Drew’s interest in the field began early. She would build things using wood and bricks as a young child and later studied architecture at the Architectural Association. During her time as a student, Drew was involved in the building of the Royal Institute of British Architecture, as well as being the first woman to be elected to the council.
Drew was one of the main founders of the Modern Movement in Britain, having made a conscious decision to keep her maiden name throughout her rich career. During the Second World War, she first established an all-female architectural practice in London. During this time, Drew undertook many projects, including the completion of 11,000 air raid shelters for children in Hackney.
In 1942, Drew married the famous architect Maxwell Fry, and formed a partnership with his wife that lasted until his death in 1987. After the war, they built extensively around the world, including hospitals, universities, housing, and government offices in countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Ivory Coast. Drew was impressed by Drew's work in Africa and was asked by the Prime Minister of India to design the new capital of Punjab, Chandigarh. For his contributions to architecture, Drew received several honorary degrees and doctorates from universities such as Harvard and MIT.
5- Lina Bo Bardi (December 5, 1914 - March 20, 1992)
Lina Bo Bardi designed bold buildings that combined Modernism with Populism. The Italian architect graduated from the Rome College of Architecture in 1939 and established her own office in 1942. She was invited to become a director by the Milanese design magazine Domus. Bo Bardi then moved to Brazil in 1946 and became a citizen five years later.
In 1947, Bo Bardi was invited to design the São Paulo Museum of Art. Suspended over a 70-meter-long square, this iconic structure has become one of the most important museums in Latin America. Other projects include The Glass House, designed for herself and her husband, and SESC Pompéia, a cultural and sports center.
Bo Bardi founded the famous Habitat Magazine with her husband in 1950 and edited it until 1953. At the time, the magazine was the most influential architectural publication in post-war Brazil. Bo Bardi also founded the country's first industrial design course at the Institute of Contemporary Art. She died in 1992, without finishing many projects.
6- Norma Merrick Sklarek (April 15, 1926 - February 6, 2012)
Norma Merrick Sklarek's career as an architect was full of firsts. She was the first black woman to be licensed as an architect in both New York and California, and the first black woman to be a member of the American Institute of Architects. She faced major discrimination throughout her life, which makes her accomplishments all the more impressive.
Sklarek attended Barnard College for one year and earned a liberal arts degree that would allow her to study architecture at Columbia University. Sklarek found studying architecture challenging because most of her classmates had BA or MA degrees. She was one of two women to graduate in 1950 and the only African American in her group. She was rejected by 19 firms in her search for jobs. “They didn’t hire women or African Americans, and I didn’t know which one was working against me,” she said. She eventually landed an architecture job with Skidmore Owings & Merrill in 1955.
With a strong personality and intellectual vision, Sklarek rose to prominence in her career, eventually becoming the director of the architectural firm Gruen Associates. She later founded Sklarek Siegel Diamond, America's largest and only female architectural firm. She has designed some of the world's most important architectural structures, including the US Embassy in Tokyo and the LAX Terminal.
7- MJ Long (July 31, 1939 - September 3, 2018)
Mary Jane 'MJ' Long oversaw the operational aspects of design for the British Library, often alongside her husband Colin St John Wilson. Born in New Jersey, USA, Long completed an architecture degree at Yale before working with St John Wilson in 1965. They married in 1972.
The British Library took 15 years to complete. Long is also known for his practice, MJ Long Architect, which he designed from 1974 to 1996. During this time he designed a variety of art studios for people including Peter Blake, Frank Auerbach, Paul Huxley and R. B. Kitaj. In 1994 he formed another firm, Long & Kentish, in collaboration with his friend Rolfe Kentish. The firm's first work was a £3 million library project for the University of Brighton. Long & Kentish went on to design buildings including the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth and the Jewish Museum in Camden.
8- Dame Zaha Hadid (31 October 1950 – 31 March 2016)
Dame Zaha Hadid is undeniably one of the most successful female architects in history. The Iraqi-born British architect became the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize, awarded to architects who demonstrate commitment, prestige, talent and vision in their work, in 2004. Hadid left behind a fortune of £67 million upon her untimely death and a year later won the RIBA Gold Medal – Britain’s highest architectural award.
Hadid's striking buildings have received critical acclaim across Europe for their organic, fluid forms, from entertainment venues to towers. She studied art at the American University of Beirut before pursuing her career at the Architectural Association in London. She established her own practice in 1979.
Zaha Hadid Architects’ signature projects include the Riverside Museum in Glasgow, the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympics, the Guangzhou Opera House and the Generali Tower in Milan. Often referred to as a “starchitect,” Time Magazine named Hadid one of the 100 most influential people on the planet in 2010. Hadid’s legacy of trendsetting architecture lives on even three years after her death.