Architecture’s “it” girl continues to wield influence in spotlight-grabbing ways. When The New York Times wanted ideas last October for repurposing Prentice Women’s Hospital, whom did it call? Ditto New York City’s Museum of Modern Art, which crafted a 2012 exhibition around Gang’s answer to Cicero’s housing crisis. And her brand of innovative design is coming soon to the Magnificent Mile: The Marriott has commissioned her to jazz up its bulky exterior with a ballroom that perches atop the hotel like a water lily.

Photograph: Sally Ryan Photography