Schumacher removes Zaha Hadid’s name from the practice: it is now called ZHA

Zaha Hadid Architects has officially rebranded as ZHA. Rumors of a name change first emerged in early March, when a ruling by the UK Court of Appeal opened the possibility for the London-based practice, led by Patrik Schumacher, to drop the name of its founder. The change is now official: the studio established by the British-Iraqi architect—who became the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize—will be known simply as ZHA. The rebranding follows a dispute between the practice and the Zaha Hadid Foundation over the use of the “Zaha Hadid” trademark. Since 2013, the firm had operated under a licensing agreement personally signed by Hadid, which required the payment of royalties for the use of her name. In recent years, the studio’s leadership challenged the arrangement, arguing that the company should no longer be required to make such payments to the foundation. A UK court ruling issued in early 2026 upheld the practice’s right to terminate the agreement, effectively clearing the way for the rebrand.

In a statement accompanying the launch of the new identity, Schumacher described the move as “a new chapter” in the practice’s history. The acronym ZHA, already widely used in the firm’s communications and throughout the architecture industry, is presented as “the natural evolution” of a brand that has long been established and internationally recognized. Nearly a decade after Hadid’s death, the practice has grown into a global organization of more than 500 professionals. Active in over 55 countries and engaged in more than 120 projects spanning architecture, urbanism, interior design, product design, and research, the firm now presents itself as a collective enterprise whose scope extends well beyond that of a founder-led studio, while continuing to acknowledge Hadid’s enduring legacy.

Yet it is difficult to separate the rebranding from its symbolic significance. For the first time since the practice was founded in 1979, Zaha Hadid’s name has disappeared from its identity. While the decision emerged from a dispute over the control and economic value of a trademark, its implications are likely to resonate far beyond legal and commercial considerations. Although this is not the first time a celebrated architect’s name has been formally detached from the practice they founded, it is undoubtedly one of the most striking examples of recent decades.