7 Bold Buildings Designed by Women

In the spirit of International Women's Day, AD examines the world's most wondrous structures devised by women

Aqua Tower (Chicago, Illinois)

American architect and MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang is one of the most exciting architects in the world today. As the founding principal of Studio Gang, she has literally raised the ceiling of what it means to be a female architect. That fact was evident when she designed the Aqua Tower (pictured), a 859-foot tall skyscraper that was the third tallest building in the world to have a woman as lead architect.

The Lieb House (Barnegat Light, New Jersey)

The Lieb House was designed by the husband and wife duo Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown. Located in Barnegat Light, New Jersey, the iconic house (which was completed in 1969) takes the extraordinary and places it in an ordinary environment. Everything from the massive number nine (indicating the address) to the flat roof (all other surrounding roofs are pitched), two-toned color scheme and abnormally geometric windows allow this banal box stand out through innovative design.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Washington D.C.)

The American-born Maya Lin was recently awarded the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. The self-described designer has produced works of muted beauty, such as the Riggio-Lynch Chapel in Tennessee, as well as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. (pictured).

Atlantis Condominium (Miami, Florida)

Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk is an American-born architect who was the co-founder of the Miami-based firm Arquitectonica. Plater-Zyberk is very much part of the New Urbanism movement that first took off in the 1980s. The concept is to design urban environments that promote environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighborhoods.

Citroën Flagship Store (Paris, France)

Manuelle Gautrand is a French-born architect who, with her Citroën showroom on the Champs-Élysées (pictured), found international recognition. Not only does Gautrand design stunning structures but also she gives back to the next generation by teaching in universities across Europe and the United States.

METI Handmade School (Rudrapur, Bangladesh)

German-born architect Anna Heringer is one of the world leaders in the sustainable architecture movement. Projects such as the METI Handmade School (pictured) in Bangladesh prove that implementing local materials and traditions in design is good not only for the environment and regional culture but also high-minded design.

The Heydar Aliyev Centre (Baku, Azerbaijan)

Sure, lovers of architecture and those from Azerbaijan will undoubtably recognize the Heydar Aliyev Centre as the work of the late Zaha Hadid. But there is still a large swath of the world population who may not realize the gifts this talented Iraqi-born architect left us before her untimely death in March 2016. She was a trailblazer for women in the industry, and was finally recognized for her talents when, in 2004, she became the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize. Hadid also won the Stirling Prize in 2010 and 2011, and she received a RIBA International Award for the Galaxy Soho in 2013.