Renowned architect Hadid settles defamation lawsuit with critic

By Jonathan Stempel
Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid speaks at a news conference to mark the opening of Wangjing SOHO, in Beijing September 20, 2014. REUTERS/Barry Huang

By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - Renowned architect Zaha Hadid has settled her lawsuit accusing the New York Review of Books and architecture critic Martin Filler of defaming her in a recent book review, for which both have apologized. Both sides agreed to end the case on Jan. 23, according to a filing in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Hadid's lawyers said it includes a donation of money to a charity that protects and champions labor rights. Hadid, who was born in Iraq and is a British citizen, claimed that Filler's June 5, 2014, review called her reputation into question and exposed her to ridicule. She pointed in particular to a passage that she said falsely implied her indifference to the treatment of migrant workers on big Middle East construction projects, including an "estimated one thousand laborers who have perished" while building the Al Wakrah stadium she designed for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Filler apologized for that passage Aug. 25, 2014, four days after the lawsuit began, noting that work on the stadium had not begun and that comments from Hadid that he had referred to "had nothing to do with the Al Wakrah site or any of her projects." Gonzalo Zeballos, a partner at Baker & Hostetler who represents Hadid, said in a statement: "Ms. Hadid is pleased to have put to rest this dispute, and to have resolved it in a way that demonstrates her commitment to safe and fair working conditions at construction sites around the world." Lawyers for the defendants did not immediately respond on Tuesday to requests for comment. Hadid in 2004 became the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize, often called the Nobel prize in her field. Her projects include the London Aquatics Centre built for the 2012 Summer Olympics, the MAXXI museum in Rome, and a condominium along Manhattan's High Line park. The case is Hadid v. NYRev Inc et al, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 158269/2014.