The beauty of art, besides the pieces themselves, also lies in the fact that it has so many types and niches that basically everyone can find what they like. Some folks prefer literature, others choose music or visual arts, while some are the architecture geeks.
Today’s article is meant for the latter, or those who want to become them. In here, you will find plenty of houses that are well known for their outstanding architecture. Maybe you already know about them, or perhaps you will leave with some new knowledge. Either way, your eyes are about to be blessed with intriguing buildings for sure.
#1 Fallingwater By Frank Lloyd Wright
Fallingwater is a house museum designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and located in Stewart Township in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania, United States. It’s built partly over a waterfall on the Bear Run stream. It was developed as a weekend retreat for Liliane and Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr., the owner of Kaufmann’s Department Store in Pittsburgh.
Image source: lachrimae72, Wikipedia
#2 Kubuswoningen By Piet Blom
A popular tourist attraction located in the Oude Haven, Rotterdam. After the destruction of the Oude Haven during World War II, architect Piet Blom was asked to redevelop the area with character, which presented him the opportunity to apply cube housing to an urban context.
Image source: GraphyArchy, Denim Pascucci
#3 The Chemosphere By John Lautner
This house, located in the Hollywood Hills, is an octagon perched on a twenty-nine-foot-high, five-foot-wide concrete column like a flying saucer on a stick. It was designed by John Lautner for Leonard Malin, a young aerospace engineer.
The building is reached by a funicular, and a concrete patio connects one side of it to the steep hillside. The bulk of the building hovers above the hill, with windows on all sides to provide a view of the San Fernando Valley.
Image source: evdropkick, Los Angeles Conservancy
#4 Ennis House By Frank Lloyd Wright
The Ennis House is one of the best residential examples of Mayan Revival architecture in the United States. The building’s designer, Frank Lloyd Wright, believed it had promising potential for affordable housing, so he created a block construction system with patterned surfaces, which lends a unique textural appearance to both the exteriors and interiors of his residences.
It features a custom-designed pattern – within the interlocking form, the Greek key design resembles a stylized “g”, possibly an allusion to the Masonic order that Charles Ennis belonged to, which had a symbol of a compass with the letter “g” for God at its center.
Frank Lloyd Wright considered The Ennis house his favorite creation. Besides, the house has served as the backdrop in numerous films, commercials, and TV shows like Mulholland Drive, Predator 2, Rush Hour, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Blade Runner.
Image source: Pom', Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
#5 Palais Bulles By Antti Lovag
Palais Bulles, also known as “Palace of Bubbles,” justifies its own name by its looks. The house was designed by Hungarian architect Antti Lovag and was constructed between 1979 and 1989. It is located on a rocky cliff near the Mediterranean Sea. In 1992, it was purchased by the French-Italian fashion designer Pierre Cardin, and ever since, it not only serves as a residential space, but sometimes is transformed into a stage for high-fashion shows, Cannes Film Festival parties, and editorial photography.
Image source: Frans-Banja Mulder,, ArchEyes
#6 La Ricarda By Antonio Bonet Castellana
La Ricarda, also known as the Gomis House, is a perfect example of rationalist architecture in Catalonia. That means that its design had to keep in mind that the building had to fit the necessities of a large family, combining private and common areas, and a large living room that could be used as a concert hall.
It was designed by the architect Antonio Bonet Castellana, in close collaboration with the owners, Mr. Ricardo Gomis and his wife, Mrs. Inés Bertrand. It’s located in the middle of a pine grove by the sea and near the city of Barcelona. The same designer also designed furniture and fittings as part of an entire creative process.
Image source: Josep Bracons, IconicHouses.org
#7 Westhope By Frank Lloyd Wright
Some say that Frank Lloyd Wright’s Westhope, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a masterpiece. It was constructed in 1929 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
It is one of the largest residences Wright ever built. It contains more than 10,000 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 4.1 baths, and a large reception area joined with the dining room.
Image source: David Brossard, westhope-tulsa
#8 Casa Malaparte By Adalberto Libera
Casa Malaparte, also known as Villa Malaparte, is considered to be one of the best examples of Italian modern and contemporary architecture. It was designed by Curzio Malaparte around 1937.
The house, which is basically a red masonry box with reverse pyramidal stairs leading to the roof patio, sits 32 meters above the sea, overlooking the Gulf of Salerno. Its interior and exterior are featured in Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 film, Contempt (Le Mépris).
Image source: Ernest Delaville, Wikipedia
#9 Casa Das Canoas By Oscar Niemeyer
The House of Canoes, or Casa das Canoas, was created in 1951 by Oscar Niemeyer, a Brazilian architect, as a private residence for himself until he fled Brazil in 1965 due to the military dictatorship. Later on, the building became the headquarters of the Oscar Niemeyer Foundation.
The house is designed with something called tropical eroticism in mind – the curved flat roof supported by light steel columns and the transparent glass walls make it seem like the house disappears into the tropical jungle.
Image source: Oscar Niemeyer, Architectuul
#10 The Aalto House By Alvar Aalto
The Aalto House is the home of the architect Alvar Aalto, located in Munkkiniemi, Helsinki, Finland. The house is a part of the Alvar Aalto Museum, which spans two cities. The house was designed to be both a studio for an architect and a home for his family.
Image source: Ninara, Wikipedia
#11 The Lovell Beach House By Rudolf Schindler
The Lovell Beach House, which is located on the coastal edges of Newport Beach, California, was designed by Rudolf Schindler in 1926. The designer’s aim was to create an innovative approach to residential design by blending aesthetics with functional modern living.
Image source: Eli Pousson, ArchEyes
#12 Eames House By Charles And Ray Eames
The Eames House, which was originally known as Case Study House No. 8, was designed by Charles and Ray Eames, who started their work in 1945. The original name came from the idea that drove the design of this house – a case study house program.
It was a program published by Los Angeles’ Arts and Architecture Magazine that focused on the use of new materials and technologies developed during World War II. The aim was for the house to be built of prefabricated materials that would not interrupt the site, be easily buildable, and showcase a modern style.
Image source: dana gordon, Adelyn Perez
#13 Frey House II By Albert Frey
Frey House II, which is located on the hillside at the west end of Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, the United States, was a longtime residence of its architect, Albert Frey. It was completed in 1964, and at the time, it was the highest elevation of any residence in the city.
It was designed to have as little impact on the surrounding environment as possible, as it’s only 800 square feet, so it’s pretty compact but very functional. Being conscious of nature, the architect chose the color of his curtains to match the yellow Encilla flowers that bloom each spring in the desert and painted the ceiling blue. The bolder, which is incorporated into its design, serves as Albert Frey’s acknowledgement of our role with nature.
Image source: Palm Springs Life Magazine, Palm Springs Art Museum
#14 Rietveld Schröder House By Gerrit Rietveld
The Rietveld Schröder House was commissioned by Ms Truus Schröder-Schräder, designed by the architect Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, and built in 1924. It’s located in Utrecht. Its interior, the spatial arrangement, and the visual and formal qualities were created as a manifesto to the ideals of the De Stijl group of artists and architects in the Netherlands in the 1920s.
Image source: Rory Hyde, unesco
#15 Villa Majorelle By Henri Sauvage
The Villa Majorelle is located at 1 rue Louis-Majorielle in the city of Nancy, France. It used to be the home and studio of the furniture designer Louis Majorelle, thus its name. It was designed and built by the architect Henri Sauvage between 1901 and 1902.
The villa is one of the first and most influential examples of the Art Nouveau architectural style in France. Now, it’s owned by the city of Nancy, and is open to the public on certain dates for tours by reservation.
Image source: Damien Boyer, Wikipedia
#16 Habitat 67 By Moshe Safdie
Habitat 67, or simply Habitat, is a housing complex at Cité du Havre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was designed by architect Moshe Safdie, who originated it in his master’s thesis at the School of Architecture at McGill University. Originally, it was intended as an experimental solution for high-quality housing in dense urban environments.
An improved version of the thesis was built for Expo 67, the International and Universal Exposition held in Montreal, Canada, to celebrate Canada’s centennial in 1967. Nowadays, it’s considered an architectural landmark.
Image source: SafdieArchitects, Gili Merin
#17 London Headquarters Of Channel Four Television
The Channel 4 headquarters building in London is located on a corner near Victoria Station. It contains broadcasting suites and a studio, an underground car park and a landscaped garden square. It accommodates up to 600 staff members.
Image source: John K Thorne, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
#18 Kings Road House By Rudolph Schindler
This house with three names – Kings Road House, The Schindler House, or Schindler Chace House – is located in West Hollywood, California. As its name suggests, it was designed by architect Rudolph M. Schindler.
This building has no conventional living room, dining room or bedrooms. When it was created, it was done so with an aim for it to be a cooperative live/work space for two young families.
Image source: Robert B. Moffatt, Wikipedia
#19 Gehry Residence By Frank Gehry
The Gehry Residence is the home of architect Frank Gehry. Originally, it was an extension of an existing Dutch colonial-style house. It’s made of unconventional materials like chain-link fences and corrugated steel. It’s located in Santa Monica, California.
In 1977, Frank and Berta Gehry bought a pink bungalow originally built in 1920. The architect wanted to experiment with the materials he was accustomed to using – metal, plywood, chain-link fencing, wood framing – so a year after the purchase, he chose to wrap the house with a new exterior.
Image source: IK's World Trip, Wikipedia
#20 Gropius House By Walter Gropius
The Gropius House was a home to one of the most influential architects of the 20th Century – Walter Gropius. He and his family were living there during his tenure at Harvard University in the mid-1900s.
It was completed in 1938 and became the first commissioned project in the United States for the famed architect. It’s located in Lincoln, Massachusetts.
Image source: Daderot, Andrew Kroll
#21 The Glass House By Philip Johnson
The Glass House, which can also be known as the Johnson house, is a historic house museum on Ponus Ridge Road in New Canaan, Connecticut. It was built between 1948 and 49 and designed by architect Philip Johnson as his own residence, which became his signature work.
The house is a perfect example of early use of industrial materials in home design, like glass and steel. The architect lived at the weekend retreat for 58 years – 45 years of them with his longtime companion, art critic and curator David Whitney, who helped to design the landscaping and collected the art displayed there.
Image source: Staib , Wikipedia
#22 E-1027 Villa By Eileen Gray
A villa with an interesting name of E-1027 sits in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. It was designed and built from 1926 to 1929 by the Irish architect and furniture designer Eileen Gray and the French/Romanian Architect Jean Badovici.
The name is actually a code of Eileen Gray and Jean Badovici (‘E’ standing for Eileen, ’10’ Jean, ‘2’ Badovici, ‘7’ Gray), symbolizing their relationship as lovers during its construction. Sadly, they separated shortly after the completion, and in 1932, Badovici inherited it.
Image source: Janet Minker, Wikipedia
#23 Villa Savoye By Le Corbusier
The Villa Savoye is built on unfarmed land of over 17 acres. It’s a modernist villa and gate lodge located in Poissy, Paris, France. Its designers are Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, who built it between 1928 and 1931. The villa is representative of the origins of modern architecture, and that’s why it’s one of the most easily recognizable examples of the International style.
Originally, the house was built as a country retreat for the Savoye family, but then, after being purchased by the neighboring school, it became the property of the French state in 1958. It’s rarely inhabited due to many different problems.
In fact, there have been several proposals to demolish it, but it was decided to designate it as an official French historical monument in 1965. In July 2016, the house was inscribed as The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Image source: Netphantm, Lecorbusier-World Heritage
#24 2 Willow Road By Ernő Goldfinger
Created by Hungarian-born architect Ernö Goldfinger as a home for himself and his family in 1939, 2 Willow Road is located in London. He lived there with his wife, Ursula, and their kids until his passing in 1987. Then, from 1995, its management was taken over by the National Trust, which opened the house to the public.
Image source: Timffl, National Trust Collections
#25 Edith Farnsworth House By Mies Van Der Rohe
In 1951, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe built The Farnsworth House, which is located near Plano, Illinois. It’s one of the most famous examples of modernist domestic architecture, which was considered unprecedented in its day. The historian Franz Schulze has said about it: “Certainly the house is more nearly a temple than a dwelling, and it rewards aesthetic contemplation before it fulfills domestic necessity.”
Image source: Victor Grigas, 3D Warehouse
#26 Rose Seidler House By Harry Seidler
When Rose Seidler House was completed back in 1950, it was “the most talked about house in Sydney,” and it remains an architectural icon to this day. It is one of the finest examples of mid 20th-century modern domestic architecture in Australia, and its furniture and fittings make up one of the most complete post-World War II design collections in public ownership. This icon was designed by Harry Seidler for his parents, Rose and Max.
Image source: Rory Hyde, mhnsw
#27 Vanna Venturi House By Robert Venturi
The Vanna Venturi was designed by Robert Venturi for his mother to live in, in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania. The completion took place between 1962 and 1964. Its split symmetrical gable, exaggerated chimney, and asymmetrical windows represent both function and Venturi’s experimental approach. With minimal circulation and layered walls functioning as enclosures and screens, the house is basically a manifesto for postmodern design.
Image source: Carol M. Highsmith, Anton Giuroiu
#28 Miller House And Garden By Eero Saarinen
The Miller House and its garden are basically a masterpiece of mid-century modern architecture in the heart of Columbus, Indiana, that were designed by the architect Eero Saarinen. He created it for the industrialist and philanthropist J. Irwin Miller and his wife, Xenia Simons Miller, in 1953. Now it’s owned by Newfields, and it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2000.
Image source: Nyttend, ArchEyes
#29 The Case Study House No. 22 — Stahl House
The Stahl House’s origins start in May of 1954, when the Stahls purchased a small lot above Sunset Blvd. The next two years, the couple spent working weekends constructing the broken concrete wall that surrounded the portion of the lot. In the summer of 1956, a three-dimensional model of the house was created. The construction began in May 1959 and was completed a year later, in May 1960.
The Stahl House was declared a Historic-Cultural landmark of the City of Los Angeles in 1999. In 2007, the American Institute of Architects named the building as one of the top 150 structures on their “America’s Favorite Architecture” list. It was also included in a list of all-time top 10 houses in Los Angeles in a Los Angeles Times survey of experts in December 2008, and in 2013, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Image source: Ovs, Stahl House
#30 The N House By Sou Fujimoto
You can find the N House in the streets of the Japanese city of Oita. Its single volume symbolizes a contemporary variation of Japanese minimalism. It was designed by Sou Fujimoto architects for a couple and their dog.
The house itself consists of three shells of progressive size nested inside one another. The outer shell covers the entire premises, creating a covered, semi-indoor garden. The second shell encloses a limited space inside the covered outdoor space, and the third one creates a smaller interior space.
Image source: Eduardo Pintos, ArchDaily
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