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10 of the Most Iconic Buildings of

Modern Architecture
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Modern architecture is the school of design that prevailed from the turn of the 20th century
until World War II. The horrendous war altered the kind of buildings needed in the post-war
era. People needed practicality and functionality more than ever to rebuild—from scratch—
the entire cities that were demolished at the time.

The dominant Beaux-Arts and neoclassical architecture, back then, had to subside to make
way for a new architectural style that can meet the public needs. This is how Modern
architecture arose and there are architecture icons that define postmodernism from the 20th
century.
What are the characteristics of modern architecture?
 Clean and abstract shapes and lines.
 Open floorplans.
 Large all-glass windows.
 Connection with the environmental context.

Modern Architecture Style:

Modern Architecture depended on utilizing novel construction techniques and materials like
reinforced concrete, steel, and glass. This architectural style was very “in”, especially for
government buildings and universities, until the 1980s where it started to face strong
competition from other new schools like postmodernism and neomodernism.
Today, we bring you a broad selection of some of the most famous buildings created under
the umbrella of Modern architecture:
Modern Buildings:

1) The Fallingwater House (Frank Lloyd Wright, Mill Run,

Pennsylvania, USA, 1935)
 Courtesy of Frank Lloyd Wright

The design of the iconic house was inspired by Japanese architecture which is famous for
using cantilevers. The house, which was ideally incorporated into the natural landscape,
was created as a weekend getaway for the Kaufmann family.

The house’s condition started to deteriorate quickly after construction that Mr. Kaufman
called the ‘seven-buckets building’, referring to the leaky roof. Moreover, the cantilevered
terraces started to fall off due to the lack of proper reinforcement. The house underwent
revamp several times and was converted into a museum in 2002.
2) Glass House (Philip Johnson, New Canaan, Connecticut, USA,
1949)
 Glass House (Philip Johnson, New Canaan, Connecticut, USA, 1949)

Philip Johnson built that house to be his own. His design was minimal and utilized the
reflection/transparency features of glass. He also experimented with dimensions and
geometric shapes which made the house one of the landmarks of the area and an icon in
the world of Modern architecture. The weekend home was made mainly of glass and steel.
However, it also suffered from the ‘leaky roof’ issue like the Fallingwater house, which made
Johnson describe it, jokingly, as the ’four-bucket house’.
3) Villa Savoye (Le Corbusier, Paris, France, 1931)
 Villa Savoye (Le Corbusier, Paris, France, 1931)

The house was built as a family retreat for the Savoyes, in Poissy, on the outskirts of Paris.
Its distinct design manifested the ‘five points’ that Le Corbusier endorsed which included the
open plan, the grid of reinforced concrete columns, the horizontal windows, the roof garden,
and the independent façade.
The family suffered greatly from problems that arose after they started using it. Faulty
construction and design mishaps caused the family to abandon it a few years later. It has
miraculously made it to the list of ’Public Buildings’ and has been turned into a museum.
4) The Guggenheim Museum (Frank Lloyd Wright, New York, USA,
1959)
 The Guggenheim Museum (Frank Lloyd Wright, New York, USA, 1959)

The great architect marketed the concept of organic architecture which envisioned humanity
being intimately linked to the environment. The cone-shaped museum comprises many key
galleries and art collections.

The spirally designed interior takes you on an endless journey dissolving all obstacles
between spaces. The rigid geometric shapes that were dominant in Modern architecture
were described by Wright, who says: “these geometric forms suggest certain human ideas,
moods, sentiments – as for instance: the circle, infinity; the triangle, structural unity; the
spiral, organic progress; the square, integrity.” Wright saw the Guggenheim as a ‘temple of
the spirit’.
5) Barcelona Pavilion (Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, Barcelona,
Spain, 1929)
 Barcelona Pavilion (Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, Barcelona, Spain, 1929)

The pavilion was originally introduced as the German Pavilion for the 1929 International
Exposition in Barcelona, hosting the German wing of the exhibition. The design, which was
influenced by the Bauhaus movement, features transparent walls and a cantilevered roof.
Although the pavilion was quite minimal, the architect did his best to use luxurious materials
like red onyx, marble, and Travertine. One of the lavish pieces of furniture, specially created
for the building, was the legendary ‘Barcelona Chair’.

6) David S. Ingalls Skating Rink in New Haven (Eero Saarinen,

Connecticut, USA)
 David S. Ingalls Skating Rink in New Haven (Eero Saarinen, Connecticut, USA)

The building is also known as ‘Yale Whale’, referring to Yale University, from which  Eero
Saarinen has graduated. The creative design holds the distinct architectural signature of
Saarinen, who often used catenary arches. The hockey arena has an undulating
cantilevered roof which is supported by a 90-meter-high arch of reinforced concrete.

7) Villa Dirickz (Marcel Leborgne, Brussels, Belgium, 1933)

Villa Dirickz (Marcel Leborgne, Brussels, Belgium, 1933)
Another seminal building of Modern architecture is Villa Dirickz. It features eye-catching
blocky features, glassworks, and white concrete surrounded by greenery. The villa, which is
$10,000,000-worth, houses lavish interiors as well as facilities like a wine cellar and a
cinema.

Marcel Leborgne is a pioneering Belgian architect, and he is the father of Modern

architecture in his homeland. The house was designed for Mr.Dirickz, an industrial
magnate, who took interest in arts. Many years afterward, the villa fell into the well of
neglect till developer Alexander Cambron bought it in 2007. Cambron dedicated all possible
resources to renovate the villa.

8) Isokon Building in London (Wells Coates, London, UK, 1934)

 Isokon Building in London (Wells Coates, London, UK, 1934)

The residential building, which is still in use up to this day, consists of 32 apartments; 24 of
which are studio apartments and 8 are single-bedroom apartments. The building also
includes staff rooms and a spacious garage. The apartments had tiny kitchens because
there was a communal kitchen at the disposal of the residents. They could freely use it to
prepare food. There were, also, other services like laundry and shoe-shining.

Avanti Architects, who are specialized in revamping apartments Modern architecture,

refurbished the building in 2003. The refurbishment resulted in establishing a communal
gallery in the garage to tell the people the history of the building. The concrete residential
block is listed as a Grade I building and is one of the key architectural landmarks in the
British capital.
9) Neue National Galerie (Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, Berlin,
Germany, 1968)
Neue National Galerie (Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, Berlin, Germany, 1968)
Dedicated to modern art, the museum hosts an art collection that dates back to the early
years of the 20th century. Its typical modernist design included a great amount of glass, a
cantilevered roof, and flat exteriors. The building is surrounded by a sculptured landscape
which was also created by Mies Van der Rohe. The museum is a section of the National
Gallery of the Berlin State Museums. The gallery has been closed since 2015 for
renovations.

10) The Cité Radieuse (Le Corbusier, Marseille, France, 1952)

© FLC/ADAGP Paul Koslowski, Francis Tellier

This housing project is one of the most important works of Le Corbusier that inspired many
other Modern architectural projects. The minimal project was influenced by the Bauhaus
choice of colors—yellow, red, and blue. It is composed of 337 flats of 27 different types, in
addition to a playground and a pool. The building is made of rough-cast concrete, and the
architect planned to also include a steel frame, but to his misfortune, World War II made
that kind of material hard to acquire.
The edifice has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016.