Explosive details of the rift tearing apart the empire left by Zaha Hadid can be published today.

Legal papers lodged by Patrik Schumacher in an attempt to oust fellow executors of the late architect’s estate have been released by the High Court.

They reveal an extraordinary tussle for control of Zaha Hadid Architects – with Schumacher forced to agree to drop the founder’s name from the world-famous practice.

He also claims he was forced to agree payments totalling £7.75m by the practice (referred to as Zaha Hadid Ltd or ZHL) to a holding company controlled by the other three executors and their appointees, in a move Schumacher claims would reduce “ZHL’s ability to continue as a going concern”.

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