Iraqi-born architect Dame Zaha Hadid dies, aged 65

Iraqi-born architect Dame Zaha Hadid, whose designs include the Opus Tower in Dubai and a Qatar World Cup stadium, has died aged 65.

Hadid, who designed Wakrah Stadium, one of the stadia for the Qatar World Cup in 2022, was the first woman to receive the Royal Institute of British Architects Gold Medal in recognition of her work.

She died of a heart attack on Thursday in a Miami hospital, where she was being treated for bronchitis.

"It is with great sadness that Zaha Hadid Architects have confirmed that Dame Zaha Hadid died suddenly in Miami in the early hours of this morning," her company said in a statement.

"She had contracted bronchitis earlier this week and suffered a sudden heart attack while being treated in hospital."

Her designs, which also include the London Olympic Aquatic Centre, have been commissioned around the world, including Dubai, Hong Kong, Germany and Azerbaijan.

She revealed plans for her first Dubai project – a building which appears to hover over the ground and dematerialise at night - in 2014.

Her design for the 93-metre Opus Tower in Business Bay features a distinctive design that sees a gap, called the void, through the middle of the structure allowing views of the surrounding area from each side.

An exhibition ran in Dubai in January showcasing the work of the top designer, featuring product designs from the early 80s – the start of the architect’s emergence onto the global stage – to the 2015 Liquid Glacial Collection furniture range.