Important Architecture

Le CorbusierA Swiss architect, designer, and artist, the man born as Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris was better known as Le Corbusier. He adopted the name as a rendition of his grandfather’s name, in the belief that any person could reinvent himself. Le Corbusier was highly influential in the 20th century, often known as one of the founders of Modern architecture. His radical designs not only incorporated structural organization of a single building but often entire city blocks. One of the first modern city planners, Le Corbusier envisioned large cities where people used cars as transportation, train centers would organize traffic patterns, and airplanes would land amid a field of skyscrapers.

Born in 1887, Le Corbusier’s career didn’t begin until after World War I. During his early years he studied art and traveled Europe admiring architecture, but in his designs he used the new construction materials of reinforced concrete and stainless steel that couldn’t be found elsewhere in Europe. During this time, he developed his artistic style and published about modern art. His first attempt to redesign a section of Paris by demolishing it and building from the ground up was met with heavy resistance, but it got people to begin questioning how to handle modern urban problems of overcrowding in such ancient cities.

Villa Savoye, Poissy, France

In addition to the many individual apartment designs, public buildings, and private residences that Le Corbusier left, his most famous project is the Unite d’Habitation outside of Marseilles in France. Le Corbusier’s “Unites” designs were for small city blocks of his dream metropole, which he called the Radiant City. In this utopia, housing would be assigned based on family size and need rather than class structure. The Unite d’Habitation exemplifies many of Le Corbusier’s ideas, showcasing his designs for administration buildings, public transportation hubs, and restaurants.

Frank Llyod WrightBorn in Wisconsin in 1867, Frank Lloyd Wright came to Chicago with minimal education and strong beliefs in his own talents. He studied under the Father of Skyscrapers, Louis Sullivan, and soon became known for his use of space. Wright believed in beautiful, elegant architecture that incorporated the natural surroundings in a style that he called “organic architecture.” Wright’s designs extended beyond simply the building structure—he designed homes down to the smallest detail in furniture placement and interior decoration. Although only approximately half of his designs were ever made into buildings, Wright still claims architectural credit on over 500 structures around the world.

His belief in consistency and a streamlined efficiency to living is evident in his “Prairie House” design, which featured enormous living space in a compact box-house interior; the expansive house floorplan complimented the prairie land around Chicago. A prolific writer himself, Wright published more than 20 books in architectural design and aesthetics, but it was only when his Prairie Houses were featured in an article ofLadies Home Journal that they exploded in popularity.

Wright’s most famous building is “Fallingwater” in Pennsylvania. The property is home to a number of spectacular waterfalls with which Wright wanted the family to “live in harmony” rather than only glancing at occasionally. Fallingwater has been designed to integrate the water into as aspect of the home, and it has been called the greatest home in American architectural design. During its construction, Wright had disputes with engineers and contractors over details of design and structural integrity. Although Wright insisted that the first tier of the building did not need additional structural support, one of the contractors secretly added the extra support anyhow.

Louis Henry SullivanOne of the most famous architects of the 19th and 20th centuries, Louis Henry Sullivan is often referred to as the father of the modern skyscraper. Using innovative new building technology, Sullivan impacted the skylines of America and ultimately the world. Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1856, Sullivan came to be prominent in his building design with the rise of steel-framed construction—this lighter-weight material allowed Sullivan to design taller buildings full of glass windows. He streamlined building interiors to minimize ornamentation, and thus weight, in his structures. He was known for using elegant archways to create more interior space, light, and softer lines. For interior design, Sullivan often used terra cotta to decorate his buildings because it weighs less and makes beautiful indoor sculptures.

Frank GehryCanadian-born Frank Gehry knew from a young age that he was interested in design and building construction. After a career spanning over 30 years, Gehry has come to be one of the most innovative architects of the 20th century. A major name in Postmodern or Deconstructivist architecture, Gehry’s designs do not hold true to the “form follows function” mantra of design in the 20th century. Instead, Gehry seeks to unnerve, inspire, and affect the viewer with a psychological awe. Not only do his designs make the building space efficient and beautiful, but Gehry injects a playful feeling of whimsy with his unexpected elements.

Gehry is known for designing some large-scale construction wonders that dramatically stand out from their surroundings, rather than incorporating the building naturally into the landscape. Designs range from the sharp Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the wavy skyscraper at 8 Spruce Street in New York to the whimsical Dancing House in Prague. At times, using angles and platinum coating (such as in his famous Guggenheim Museum in Spain), Gehry makes sweeping, curved lines work together (the Louis Vuitton Foundation building is one example). At times his work is said to have an “unfinished” quality, which is integral to the 20th-century California “funk” art movement, as well as the Deconstructivist objective of taking apart an artistic ideal to expose its inner workings.

Having been awarded the Pritzker Prize for Architecture, Gehry is one of the most highly-demanded architects in the world. He has projects ongoing for the new world headquarters for Facebook, as well as for the National Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial recently approved by Congress. His talents are used for both public and private spaces, the most famous of which may be Gehry’s own residence in Los Angeles.

Ieoh Ming PeiKnown for intimate and extended consideration of the time, purpose, and place of each of his creations, the architect Ieoh Ming Pei (often referred to as I. M. Pei) has helped revolutionize the concept of buildings as art in the 20th century. Known as the “father of modern architecture,” Pei has not only been commissioned for some of the most famous projects in the world, but his focus on how a building will impact the lives of the community that uses it (instead of focusing on abstract standards of artistic ideals) has helped launch new design movements toward ergonomic design, green living, and eco-conscious construction.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Born in China, Pei came to the US in the 1930s to study architecture at MIT and Harvard. After employment as an engineer, he began an architecture career in New York. Following a few smaller projects, he received some acclaim, but he earned international success with his design for the Center for Atmospheric Research in the US. Over the next 40 years, Pei would design the Green Building at MIT, the East Building of the National Gallery of Art, and Dallas City Hall. Pei returned to China to design his first building there in 1975, and he sparked international controversy with his nontraditional design for the entrance to the world-famous French museum, the Louvre, in 1985.

Pei’s modernist style is also considered highly Cubist, although elements vary so greatly for each design that he has not been limited to a typical “Pei School.” He is known for integrating classical and modern elements to fit with the existing personality of the urban landscape around the new building. Having retired in 1990, Pei continues to act as an architectural design consultant around the world.