For the first time since establishing the award in 1848, the Royal Institute of British Architects has bestowed its Royal Gold Medal on a woman. Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi-born, London-based starchitect, joins the ranks of other famed winners, including I. M. Pei (2010), Frank Gehry (2000), Le Corbusier (1953), Frank Lloyd Wright (1941), and Sir George Gilbert Scott (1859).

Established in 1848, the medal, which is approved by the reigning monarch, recognizes the lifetime achievement of a distinguished person who has promoted the advancement of architecture. “I am very proud to be awarded the Royal Gold Medal, in particular, to be the first woman to receive the honour in her own right,” Hadid said in a statement. “We now see more established female architects all the time. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Sometimes the challenges are immense. There has been tremendous change over recent years and we will continue this progress.”