Chief Executive Officer, Zha Architects Formerly Zaha Hadid Architects
Search every verified Mouzhan Majidi interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a 2020 interview for Zaha Hadid Architects' "Inside the Archive" series, Mouzhan Majidi, Chief Executive of the firm, discussed his early career and his first impressions of Norman Foster. Majidi recalled attending a lecture by Foster at the RIBA in 1986 and subsequently writing to him after completing his diploma in July 1987. He described being interviewed by Foster the next day and being offered a position at Foster Associates, where he worked on the Stansted Airport project. Majidi stated that Stansted Airport "created a new diagram for airports" and that subsequent airports, including those by other architects, followed its model. He also recounted working on the Chek Lap Kok airport in Hong Kong, noting that the design allowed passengers to navigate intuitively by following the roof and skylights without relying heavily on signage. Majidi described design reviews with Foster as "daunting" but "absolutely fantastic," adding that Foster would always provide direction toward a solution.
For this episode of our Inside the Archive series, we join the Chief Executive of Zaha Hadid Architects, Mouzhan Majidi. A former Chief Executive at Foster + Partners, Majidi recalls his first impressions of meeting Norman Foster in 1986. Then a young graduate from Scotland, the following year Majidi joined Foster Associates at their celebrated premises in Great Portland Street, London.
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