Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid was an Iraqi and British architect, artist, and designer. She is recognised as a key figure in the architecture of the late-20th and early-21st centuries. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Hadid studied mathematics as an undergraduate and later enrolled at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in 1972.

Pierre Paulin was a French furniture designer and interior designer. He became known for his innovative work with Artifort in the 1960s and for his interior design projects in the 1970s.

Today, his pieces are still being made, initiated by Maia Paulin, the designer’s wife and partner for nearly forty years, who worked tirelessly to promote his work internationally.

Frank Owen Gehry was a Canadian and American architect and designer known for his postmodern designs and use of unconventional forms and materials. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become attractions.

Dieter Rams was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1932. He was strongly influenced by the presence of his grandfather who was a carpenter. Rams's early awards for carpentry led to him training as an architect as Germany was rebuilt in the early 1950s.