Zaha Hadid grew up in Bagdad, surrounded by winding rivers, shifting sand dunes, and the ruins of the ancient cities of Iraq. Zaha was an excellent student and especially loved math. She traveled to London to study architecture, where she impressed her professors with her wildly imaginative designs.

After graduation, she opened her own architecture studio. For years, she created many innovative designs that earned her the nickname "The Queen of the Curve" because they used the round, flowing shapes of nature. She entered many design competitions, but it took years for her to convince anyone to build one of her unusual buildings. Once she finally did, and the world had a chance to see her amazing vision, her buildings started popping up all over the globe. Take a look at the slide show below to see some of her mind-blowing creations.