Here we are, about to bid farewell to 2016. As I’m writing this on the afternoon of December 29, social media has been in a frenzy over the past week with posts, articles and comments about the recent passing of so many beloved celebrities. As one news site reported, more than 100 celebrities have died in 2016. I didn’t expect to find any crossover into our industry, but as I read through the list, sure enough, there it was.

As I was thinking about all the many great talents we’ve said goodbye to this year, my first thought was the passing of David Bowie back in January. I found some unexpected blog content earlier this year when I came across a number of references to glass and architecture in music.

But as I continued scrolling through the list, another name jumped out at me. This person might not be considered celebrity by some, but to those of us who live and work in the world of architecture and glass she certainly is: Zaha Hadid.

I have to admit, I’ve been a bit starstruck by her work ever since I first wrote about one of her projects, the Guangzhou Opera House in Guangzhou, China, back in 2011. Since then, we’ve covered several other projects she’s done over the years and have been fortunate to interview members from the firm’s design team for various articles.

Zaha Hadid projects, to me, are mesmerizing. I love the geometry, the curves and swoops, and I love the use of glass. A beautiful example of her work here in the U.S. is the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University; we featured the project (scroll to page 17 in the link) back in 2013 . Guardian Industries was the glass supplier, and they made a nice video about it here.

As I look back on 2016, it’s hard not to think about all the great celebrities we’ve lost. For me, many are representative of my youth—TV shows I watched, music I listened to and the books I read. But whether we’re mourning our favorite actor, musician, writer or architect, there’s a bit of comfort in watching, listening to, reading or visiting their works that we love. This is where they will live on.

I wish all of you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2017.