In the article 'Zaha the first great female architect' Meades describes an architect who is quite clearly not comfortable talking about architecture. What makes this statement more significant is that she is not any architect but an iconic architect with a reputation for being a tour de force- a guru. She will not describe her work other than in vague architectural jargon which quite clearly does not impress the author nor myself. She alludes to the process of her work in an almost mystical way and refuses to comment on the work of others. What is intelligible of her discourse has been said before and is firmly rooted in the institution.I can however fully sympathise with this. It has taken drive, ambition and unwavering focus to be where she is now. Her work, the process of her work, the construct of herself is a precious commodity. It’s no wonder her life is contrived to form a predictably unremarkable background to the strange and mystical process of her creativity. She has a fear, as Meades notes, that if she or demystifies the formula of her success that her and her work will become of this world signifying the death of the icon she has created.
I find this all quite sad really. It must be a very lonely life at the top of the ivory tower.
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