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50 of The Most Iconic Buildings of Modern Architecture

1. Sagrada Família

Architect: Antoni Gaudi
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Build: 1882- still not completed
Purpose: Roman Catholic church
Present Scenario: Completion of the Building is going side by side and it is open for the tourist as well. In November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica.

Sagrada Familia

2. Eiffel Tower

Architect: Stephen Sauvestre
Location: Paris, France
Build: 1889
Purpose: entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair
Present Scenario: It became the cultural icon for France. It is the most-visited paid monument in the world.              

Eiffel Tower

3. Château Frontenac

Architect: Bruce Price
Location: Quebec, Canada
Build: 1893
Purpose: Hotel
Present Scenario: Functioning as a historic hotel.
Renovation: In 2011, the new company who acquired the hotel decided to invest on the restoration of the building’s masonry work, and to replacement of the building’s copper roofs. The company further announced another $66 million investment for general improvements and renovations throughout the hotel. The extensive renovation saw conference rooms expanded, restaurants remodeled, modernization of the lobby, and rebuilding of three-fifths of the hotel’s rooms

chateau Frontenac

4. Flatiron Building

Architect: Daniel Burnham
Location: New York, USA
Build: 1902
Purpose: Office Building
Present Scenario: Still in use, plans are there to turn it into a luxury hotel, although the conversion may have to wait ten years until the leases of the current tenants run out.
Renovation: The facade of the Flatiron Building was restored in 1991 by the firm of Hurley & Farinella.

Flatiron Buildings

5. Ingalls Building

Architect: Elzner & Anderson
Location: Ohio, USA
Build: 1903
Purpose: Office building, first reinforced concrete skyscraper.
Present Scenario: Still in use. Plans are there to convert the office Building into 40 to 50 condos, with ground-floor retail in 2014, by the new owner

Ingalls

6. La Salle Hotel

Architect: Holabird & Roche
Location: Illinois, USA
Build: 1909
Purpose: Hotel
Present Scenario: It was demolished in 1976 to make room for office towers.

la salle hotel

7. Royal Ontario Museum

Architect: Darling & Pearson
Location: Ontario, Canada
Build: 1910
Purpose: Museum of art, world culture and natural history
Present Scenario: Still functioning as a Museum.
Renovation: In 2002, the museum underwent a major renovation and expansion project dubbed as Renaissance ROM. A deconstructive crystalline structure designed by Architect Daniel Libeskind was added to the existing Building.

Royal Ontario

8. Casa Milà

Architect: Antoni Gaudi
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Build: 1912
Purpose: Residence for Pere Milà
Present Scenario: From 2013 it is the headquarters of the FundacióCatalunya La Pedrera which manages the visit to the Building, exhibitions and other cultural and educative activities.
Renovation: On February 19, 1987, urgently needed work began on the restoration and cleaning of the façade. The work was done by the Architects Joseph Emilio Hernández-Cross and Rafael Vila. The renovated main floor opened in 1990 as part of the Cultural Olympiad of Barcelona. The floor became an exhibition room.

Casa Mila

9. Barcelona Pavilion

Architect: Mies Van Der Rohe
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Build: 1929
Purpose: German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona.
Present Scenario:
Museum
Reconstruction: The Building was torn down in early 1930, not even a year after it was completed. However, thanks to black-and-white photos and original plans, a group of Catalan Architects reconstructed the pavilion permanently between 1983 and 1986

Barcelona pavilion

10. The Chrysler Building

Architect: William Van Alen
Location: New York city, USA
Build: 1930
Purpose: Commercial Building
Present Scenario: Still in use
Renovation: From 2010 to 2011, the building’s energy, plumbing, and waste management systems were renovated. The building received a LEED Gold accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council, which recognized the building’s environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.

Chrysler Building

11. Villa Tugendhat

Architect: Mies van der Rohe
Location: Brno, Czech Republic
Build: 1930
Purpose: Residence for Fritz Tugendhat and his wife Greta
Present Scenario: The villa has been open to the public as a museum administered by the city of Brno
Renovation: Reconstruction and restoration started in February 2010 with estimated costs of 150 million CZK. It finished in February 2012 and the villa was reopened to the public in March.

Villa Tugendhat

12. Empire State Building

Architect: Shreve, Lamb and Harmon
Location: New York, USA
Build: 1931
Purpose: Office Building
Present Scenario: Still in use
Renovation: The Building started undergoing a 10-year renovation in the 2010s to further improve energy efficiency, public areas, and amenities. In August 2018, in a move to improve the flow of visitor traffic, the main visitor’s entrance was shifted to 20 West 34th Street as part of a major renovation of the observatory lobby.

Empire State Building

13. Villa savoye

Architect: Le Corbusier
Location: Paris, France
Build: 1931
Purpose: Family retreat for the Savoyes
Present Scenario: Converted into museum
Renovation: It was thoroughly renovated between 1985 and 1997

Villa Savoye

14. Villa Dirickz

Architect: Marcel Leborgne
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Build: 1933
Purpose: Home for Mr.Dirickz, an industrial magnate
Present Scenario:After many years, the villa fell into a well of neglect until the developer Alexander Cambron bought it in 2007.
Renovation: Remodeled in 2008-2009

Villa Dirickz

15. Isokon Building in London

Architect: Wells Coates
Location: London, UK
Build: 1934
Purpose: Apartment Building
Present Scenario: Still in use
Renovation: It took place in 2003. The refurbishment has also created a public gallery space in the former garage to tell the story of the building, its notable residents and Isokon furniture.

Isokon

16. Falling Water

Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
Build:  1935
Purpose: Vacation Home for the Kauffmann’s family.
Present Scenario: Converted into museum

Falling water

17. Johnson Wax Headquarters

Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Build: 1936
Purpose: Administration Building
Present Scenario: In 2013, an extensive 12-month restoration was completed. The tower was now is opened for public tours. The research labs shown on the tour have been set up to appear frozen in time, including beakers, scales, centrifuges, archival photographs and letters about the Building.

Johnson

18. 30 Rockefeller Plaza

Architect: Raymond Hood
Location: New York, USA
Build: 1940
Purpose: Offices and television studios
Present Scenario: Still in use, now known as Comcast Building
Renovation: 30 Rockefeller Center underwent a $170 million floor-by-floor interior renovation in 2014.

Rockefeller

19. The Pentagon

Architect: George Bergstrom
Location: Virginia, USA
Build: 1943
Purpose: Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense
Present Scenario: Still in use
Renovation: From 1998 to 2011, the Pentagon was completely gutted and reconstructed in phases to bring it up to modern standards and improve security and efficiency. During September 11 attacks, the outer ring of one wing of the building was damaged and caused its partial collapse. When the damaged section of the Pentagon was repaired, a small indoor memorial and chapel were added at the point of impact for the remembering those who lost their lives in that attack.

The pentagon

20. São Paulo Museum of Art

Architect: Lina Bo Bardi
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Build: 1947
Purpose: Art Museum
Present Scenario: Still houses Brazilian art, prints and drawings, as well as smaller collections of African and Asian art, antiquities, decorative arts, and others, amounting to more than 8,000 pieces.

St Paulo of Modern Art

21. Glass House

Architect: Philip Jhonson
Location: Connecticut, USA
Build: 1949
Purpose: Own House
Present Scenario: Open to the public for guided tours.

Glass house

22. Farnsworth House

Architect: Mies Van Der Rohe
Location: Plano, Illinois
Build: 1951
Purpose: Weekend retreat for Dr. Edith Farnsworth
Present Scenario:The house is owned and operated as a historic house museum by the historic preservation group, National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Farnsworth

23. The CitéRadieuse

Architect: Le Corbusier
Location: Marseille, France
Build: 1952
Purpose: Housing Unit
Present Scenario: Tours are conducted to see the building
Renovation: CitéRadieusemodel apartments have been rebuilt in exhibitions or renovated in their historic style.

CitéRadieuse

24. United Nations HQ

Architect: Wallace Harrison
Location: New York City, USA
Build: 1952
Purpose: Headquarters includes the General Assembly and the Security Council
Present Scenario: Still in use
Renovation: The North Lawn Building was replaced with an open plaza in Jan 2016.

United nations

25. Notre Dame du Haut

Architect: Le Corbusier
Location: Ronchamp, France
Build: 1955
Purpose: Roman Catholic chapel
Present Scenario: Still working as a religious Building

Notre Dame

26. Solar Building

Architect: Stanley & Wright
Location: New Mexico, USA
Build: 1956
Purpose: First commercial Building to be heated primarily by solar energy for Bridgers & Paxton Consulting Engineers
Present Scenario: Still in use
Renovation: The Building expanded in 1962. The solar collector was abandoned in favor of a conventional boiler system, though the equipment was left intact for possible future use.In early 1974, Penn State researcher Stanley Gilman received a National Science Foundation grant to restore the Building’s solar heating system and operate it as part of a multi-year field study intended to identify optimal design criteria for such systems.

Solar Building

27. Ingalls Skating Rink

Architect: Eero Saarinen
Location: Connecticut, USA
Build: 1958
Purpose: Hockey rink in Yale university
Present Scenario: Still in use
Renovation:The building went under renovations in 2007, that added 13,000 square feet of varsity operational space in the rink.

Ingalls Skating Rink

28. Atomium

Architect: André and Jean Polak
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Build: 1958
Purpose: Constructed for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair (Expo 58)
Present aluminum sheets on the spheres with stainless steel. It was opened for the public in
Present Scenario: Museum
Renovation: It began in 2004. The renovations included replacing the faded 2006.

Atomium

29. Seagram Building

Architect: Miles van der Rohe and Philip Johnson
Location: New York, USA
Build: 1958
Purpose: the headquarters for Joseph E. Seagram and Sons, a Canadian distillery company
Present Scenario: Still in use

seagram

30. The Guggenheim Museum

Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
Location: New York, USA
Build: 1959
Purpose: Museum
Present Scenario: Still in use.
Renovation:The Building underwent extensive expansion and renovations in 1992 (when an adjoining tower was built) and from 2005 to 2008.

Guggenheim

31. Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Architect: Louis Kahn along with Jack MacAllister
Location: San Diego, California
Build: 1960
Purpose: Not for profit scientific research institute
Present Scenario: Still in use.
Renovation: In 2014, the Getty Conservation Institute partnered with the Salk Institute to preserve the concrete and teak Building which is, due to its coastal Location, subject to the punishing rigors of a marine environment.

Salk_Institute

32. Sainte Marie de La Tourette

Architect: Le Corbusier
Location: Lyon, France
Build: 1960
Purpose: Dominican Order priory
Present Scenario: Pilgrimage site for students of Architecture, The priory allows overnight stays in the unused cells.

Sainte Marie de La Tourette

33. Civil Arena

Architect: Mitchell & Ritchey Architects
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
Build: 1961
Purpose: Civic Auditorium
Present Scenario: Demolished in 2012

Civil Arena

34. Space Needle

Architect: John Graham & Company
Location: Washington, USA
Build: 1962
Purpose: Observational Tower, build for 1962 World’s Fair
Present Scenario: Still in use
Renovation: In September 2017, the rotating sky city restaurant was temporarily closed as part of a US$100 million renovation. The renovation included the installation of a new rotation motor and see-through glass floors in the restaurant, as well as the replacement of the observation deck’s wire enclosure with glass panels. In August 2018, the world’s first and so far only revolving glass floor, known as “The Loupe” was added. Standing 500 feet above street level, powered by 12 motors, the floor is constructed of 10 layers of tightly bonded glass to ensure safety.

Space Needle

35. TWA Flight Center

Architect: Eero Saarinen
Location: New York, USA
Build: 1962
Purpose: Airport Terminal For Trans World Airlines
Present Scenario: The head house is converted into TWA Hotel.
Renovation:Although portions of the original complex have been demolished, the Saarinen-designed head house has been renovated and is converted into a hotel along with some new structures.

twaflightcenter

36. Millbank Tower

Architect: Ronald Ward & Partners
Location: London, UK
Build: 1963
Purpose: Commercial Building
Present Scenario: Still in use
Renovation: Plans are there to redevelop the Building to convert it into a hotel and luxury apartments.

Millbank_Tower

37. Yoyogi National Gymnasium

Architect: KenzoTange
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Build: 1964
Purpose: National Gymnasium
Present Scenario: Still in use

Yoyogi National Museum

38. BT Tower

Architect: Eric Bedford
Location: London, UK
Build: 1964
Purpose: Commissioned by the General Post Office, to support the microwave aerials then used to carry telecommunications traffic from London to the rest of the country
Present Scenario: Still in Use, Microwave links have been replaced by subterranean optical fibre links for most mainstream Purposes.

BT tower

39. Astrodome

Architect: Hermon Lloyd & W. B. Morgan, and Wilson, Morris, Crain and Anderson (Morris Architects)
Location: Texas, USA
Build: 1965
Purpose: Multi-Purpose, domed sports stadium
Present Scenario: Undergoing Renovation
Renovation: The Astrodome Revitalization Project was proposed in September 2016. The plan would turn the dome into a massive underground parking garage. The Harris County Commissioners voted to approve a $105 million renovation plan on February 13, 2018.

Astrodome

40. Gateway Arch

Architect: Eero Saarinen
Location: St Louis, USA
Build: 1965
Purpose: Monument to the westward expansion of the United States
Present Scenario: Still there, it’s world tallest arch.

gateway Arch

41. Neue National Galerie

Architect: Mies Van der Rohe
Location: Berlin, Germany Build: 1968
Purpose: Museum of Modern Art
Present Scenario: The gallery has been closed since 2015 for renovations.

Neue_Nationalgalerie

42. John Hancock Centre

Architect: Fazlur Khan and Bruce Graham
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Build: 1969
Purpose: Office Building
Present Scenario: Still in use

john-hancock-center

43. The Berliner Fernsehturm

Architect: Hermann Henselmann
Location: Berlin, Germany.
Build: 1969
Purpose:Built by the German Democratic Republic primarily as an ostentatious piece communist propaganda
Present Scenario: Serves as a radio and television broadcasting station and a viewing tower for the city

Berliner fernsehturm

44. World Trade Centre

Architect: Minoru Yamasaki
Location: New York City, USA
Build: 1971
Purpose: Commercial Building
Present Scenario: destroyed in September 11 terrorist attacks, New WTC towers are being constructed.

World Trade Centre

45. Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Architect: Welton Becket
Location: Florida, USA
Build: 1971
Purpose: Resort located at the Walt Disney World
Present Scenario: Functioning as a Deluxe Resort
Renovation: In 2005, Disney began an extensive renovation of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and it was completed in 2009. As part of the major construction at the Contemporary Resort, the north wing of the hotel was demolished to make way for a separate Disney Vacation Club.

Disney Contemporary Resort

46.Willis Tower

Architect: Fazlur Rahman Khan
Location: Illinois, USA
Build: 1973
Purpose: Office, observation, communication building
Present Scenario: Still working as an Office Building.
Renovation: In January 2009, a major renovation of the Skydeck was begun, including the installation of retractable glass balconies which extend approximately 4 feet from the facade of the 103rd floor, overlooking South Wacker Drive. The all-glass boxes, informally dubbed “The Ledge”, allow visitors to see the street below.

Willis-Tower

47. Sydney Opera House

Architect: JornUtzon
Location: Sydney, Austrailia
Build: 1973
Purpose: multi-venue performing arts centre
Present Scenario: Still in use

Sydney Opera House

48. Royal National Theatre

Architect: Denys Lasdun
Location: London, UK
Build: 1976
Purpose: Publicly funded performing arts venue
Present Scenario: Still in use
Renovation: The building was refurbished by architects Haworth Tompkins and reopened in autumn 2007.

Royal National Theatre

49. Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban

Architect: Louis Kahn
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Build: 1982
Purpose: National Assembly Building for Bangladesh
Present Scenario: Still in use

Jatiya Sansad

50. The Louvre Pyramid

Architect: I.M Pei
Location: Paris, France
Build: 1989
Purpose: Main Entrance to the Louvre Museum
Present Scenario: Still in use

The louvre