An Iraqi-born British architect has been awarded a prestigious royal gold medal for a design she made for the 2012 London Olympics.

Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid devised the Aquatics Center for the Olympics showing buildings in cities from Guangzhou in China to Glasgow in Scotland.

The medal is given in recognition of a lifetime achievement by the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) and is personally approved by the Queen. Hadid is the first woman to be awarded the gold medal in her own right.

According to Riba president, Zaha Hadid is "a formidable and globally-influential force in architecture". "Highly experimental, rigorous and exacting, her work from buildings to furniture, footwear and cars, is quite rightly revered and desired by brands and people all around the world," Jane Duncan said.

The works of the London-based architect have been acclaimed before and won numerous awards including the UK's most prestigious architecture award, Riba Stirling Prize twice.

In 2012, Zaha Mohammad Hadid was made a Dame, a noble title and the female equivalent of the honor of knighthood in Britain.