Zaha Hadid Architects rebrands as ZHA

A few months after winning a closely watched legal battle over the right to move beyond its founder's name, Zaha Hadid Architects has done exactly that. The London-based practice has officially rebranded as simply ZHA, unveiling a new visual identity and website as it marks a new chapter a decade after Zaha Hadid's death in 2016.

The rebrand follows a March ruling by the UK Court of Appeal, which found that the practice was not required to indefinitely retain the "Zaha Hadid" name or continue paying royalties to the Zaha Hadid Foundation. The decision overturned an earlier High Court ruling, clearing the way for the firm to end the trademark licensing agreement on reasonable notice and giving it greater freedom to define its future identity.

While the name is changing, the practice says its ambitions are not. Now an employee-owned firm of nearly 500 professionals, ZHA describes the move as an evolution rather than a departure, one intended to honor Hadid's legacy while reflecting th...