After months of legal warfare, London-based architect Zaha Hadid, Hon. FAIA, has reached an agreement with The New York Review of Books and one of its critics, Martin Filler, ending one of the hottest feuds of 2014.
Troubles began with the June issue of The New York Review of Books, which published an article, written by Filler, that claimed Hadid was unconcerned with the deaths of workers during the construction of her Al Wakrah Stadium in Qatar. In reality, not a single death occurred during the construction of the building, as that phase hasn’t even begun. Hadid said that her quotes in the story had been pulled out of their context, and she sued, claiming defamation of character, seeking a withdrawal of the article from publication, damages from the defendants, and full payment of legal fees. Filler issued a letter on Sep. 5, apologizing for his factual error.
Although the agreement remains confidential, Hadid has withdraw the lawsuit and accepted the apology of Filler and The New York Review of Books. Additionally, Hadid will donate “an undisclosed sum” of settlement money to a charitable organization that protects labor rights, according to a press release from BakerHostetler, the law firm representing Hadid.
The press release also stated that Zaha Hadid Architects remains committed to promoting safe and fair working conditions and reported no lost-time injuries since works at the Qatar site began over a year ago. “Workers live in high quality accommodations near the site, and the Emir of Qatar personally confirms that new laws protecting workers’ rights will be enforced, demonstrating that the parties delivering the Al-Wakrah stadium are leading by example,” stated the release.
