Should Architects Speak Out about Working Conditions in Qatar?

Many architects are working in the Gulf States but the one who got attention recently was Pritzker winner Zaha Hadid. The London-based Iraqi-born architect of extraordinary structures is currently building the Al-Wakrah stadium in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.

Hundreds of Indian and Nepalese migrant workers have died in Qatar during construction work connected to the World Cup. Hadid was asked last month by the Guardian newspaper for her feelings about these deaths and gave a direct answer: "I have nothing to do with the workers," adding, “I'm not taking it lightly but I think it's for the government to look to take care of. It's not my duty as an architect to look at it.”