When we think about beautiful architecture, many of us imagine buildings that have been around for over a century. You might picture Haussmannian buildings lining the streets of Paris or the gorgeous Sagrada Família in Barcelona. But as much fun as it is to romanticize the past and celebrate these structures that have been around for many years, there’s plenty to celebrate about the present too.
We took a trip to the Modern Architecture subreddit and gathered some of their most stunning photos below. This list features innovative buildings from all over the world that you might find fascinating and inspiring. Enjoy scrolling through, and be sure to upvote the buildings that you hope to see in person someday!
#1 Longxing Temple Urban Renewal By Biad Asa Studio
Image source: n3xus1oN
#2 House&restaurant By Junya Ishigami That Cannot Be Seen From The Street
Image source: Otherwise_Wrangler11
#3 Hundred Thousand Brick House (2020) By Labwerk
Image source: n3xus1oN
If you’re not an expert on architecture and don’t know exactly what falls under the umbrella of “modern architecture,” don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. According to Maverick Frame Studio, this actually refers to styles that hit their stride in the early 20th Century and had a major impact on architecture of various forms through the 1960s.
The word “modern” in this case doesn’t exclusively mean current, but “it’s connected to modernism, industrialization, social change, and a clear break from the ornate styles of the past,” Maverick Frame Studio explains. And this style came about initially as a philosophical and practical response to how rapidly cities were changing. Architects wanted to reflect modern times, rather than imitate the past.
#4 Grand World Phu Quoc Welcome Center (2021) By Vtn Architects (Vo Trong Nghia)
Image source: n3xus1oN
#5 Zig Zag Hotel In Himare, Albania Designed By Ja Joubert Architecture
Image source: Otherwise_Wrangler11
#6 Science Island Museum By Smar Studio
Image source: n3xus1oN
Because the world has changed so rapidly since the end of the 19th Century, architects knew that they would have to adapt with the times. They wanted to create structures and spaces that were better suited to our modern, industrial lives. No longer did they only think about how a building looked; they also considered layout, light, circulation, and how the space was designed.
Some key figures who are absolute legends in the world of modern architecture are Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. Sullivan was a huge proponent of the idea that form should follow function, and Wright popularized open floor plans and creating a strong connection between a building and its environment.
#7 Peak Japanese Residential Architecture
Image source: Otherwise_Wrangler11
#8 Shanghai Grand Opera House By Snøhetta
Image source: n3xus1oN
#9 The Veil By Ricardo Bofill Arquitectura
Image source: n3xus1oN
Aside from form following function, there are several other core principles of modern architecture. First, the embracing of new materials and structural freedom. Steel, reinforced concrete, and large-scale glass became extremely popular with modern architecture. And buildings no longer had to look a certain way. Architects became extremely creative with the shapes of buildings, and we began to see bolder-looking structures emerge.
#10 The Twist By Big (Bjarke Ingels Group)
Image source: n3xus1oN
#11 Wave Cube By Scenic Architecture Office
Image source: n3xus1oN
#12 Asakusa Cultural Tourist Center, Tokyo
Image source: mrsabuydee
Space, light, and human use were also important factors that modern architects kept in mind. The idea that people could move through a space more fluidly was a new concept, but it became incredibly popular, and it still is today. Rooms didn’t have to be tight boxes anymore; several rooms could flow into one another. Meanwhile, architects really began to take into consideration how much lighting, particularly natural light, can impact a space.
#13 Al Wasi Plaza By Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Image source: n3xus1oN
#14 Gare De Mons By Santiago Calatrava
Image source: n3xus1oN
#15 Lumbini Museum By Kenzo Tange
Image source: n3xus1oN
Some classic features that you might spot in a lot of modern buildings are clean lines and geometric forms, flat or low-pitched roofs, open floor plans, large windows, ribbon windows, curtain walls, minimal ornamentation, visible use of glass, steel, and concrete, strong horizontal or vertical emphasis, and integration with light, air, and the surrounding landscape. The goal is not to be minimalist for the sake of being so, but to create a space that feels ordered and intentional.
#16 This Apartment In Yokohama Designed By Kazuyo Sejima Breaks Every Rule Of City Living
Image source: Otherwise_Wrangler11
#17 3D-Printed Ceramics Pavilion By Synthetic Architecture
Image source: n3xus1oN
#18 Opus By Zaha Hadid
Image source: Otherwise_Wrangler11
When it comes to why people love modern architecture so much, Brightman Clarke Architects notes on their site that there are several benefits that can come from this style. First, it often utilizes environmentally friendly materials. A modern home can reduce your carbon footprint, keep your bills lower, and reduce your energy consumption. Plus, this style of architecture often includes plants, which can make your home much more serene.
#19 Florida Polytechnic University Science And Technology Building (2014) By Santiago Calatrava
Image source: n3xus1oN
#20 The Learning Architecture For Learners (2023) By Vuild
Image source: n3xus1oN
#21 Audrey Irmas Pavilion By Oma
Image source: n3xus1oN
The free-flowing rooms in modern architecture can also be great because they make a space more versatile. Instead of being locked into clearly defined rooms, modern architecture often takes advantage of the space by utilizing straight and curved lines. Plus, it gives you more opportunities for redecorating or changing the layout of your home whenever you like, something that many homes aren’t designed for.
#22 The Hidden World Inside A Japanese Manga Artist’s House
Image source: jutaku
#23 Ruixue By Tianhua Architecture
Image source: n3xus1oN
#24 Atyrau Bridge By New Moon Architects
Image source: n3xus1oN
Are you enjoying these photos of gorgeous modern buildings, pandas? Keep upvoting the ones that inspire you, and let us know in the comments below what the most fabulous modern structure you’ve ever seen in person was. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another list from Bored Panda featuring even more amazing architecture, look no further than right here!
#25 The Port House
Image source: Scale_Model_Citizen
#26 “Gehry Buildings” Medienhafen Düsseldorf, Germany By Frank O. Gehry 1999
Image source: Stunning-Way-7527
#27 Daniel Libeskind
Image source: EveningRepeat8207
#28 Modern Geometry Hidden In The Forest
Image source: alontina
#29 Longquan Mountain Observatory By Buzz / Büro Ziyu Zhuang
Image source: n3xus1oN
#30 Louisiana Museum Of Modern Art. Humlebaek, Denmark
Image source: New-Ferret6974
#31 Shanghai Astronomy Museum — Shanghai, China
Image source: Arra_B0919
#32 Wichita Kansas
Image source: PNWtruckerstud
#33 House With Five Corners By Escher Gunewardena Architecture
Image source: carloszeigler
#34 Liwa Farm Village By Inca Hernández
Image source: n3xus1oN
#35 Museo De Arte Moderno, Cdmx
Image source: naveen713
#36 1st& Cincinnati Tulsa,ok 8:16pm
Image source: NaturalSelection27
#37 Awaroa Bay Retreat: Architecture In Harmony With Nature
Image source: [deleted]
#38 Casa Kike, Cahuita, Costa Rica
Image source: [deleted]
#39 The Louvre Abu Dhabi
Image source: [deleted]
#40 A Beautiful New Waterfront Modern Home Being Built In West Palm Beach! Listed For $39m
Image source: [deleted]
#41 Kulhad Pavilion By Wallmakers
Image source: n3xus1oN
#42 National Museum Of Qatar
Image source: [deleted]
#43 Zaha In Hoxton Square
Image source: Scale_Model_Citizen
#44 Monument To The Soviet Space Program In Moscow, Completed In 1964, The 107-Meter-Tall Titanium Structure Depicts A Rocket Rising On A Plume Of Smoke
Image source: Front-Coconut-8196
#45 Oppo Technology & Research Centre Tower Chengdu, China
Image source: [deleted]
#46 Modern Beach House In Melbourne Beach Florida Under 1 Million
Image source: LiveHurry2346
#47 India International Centre
Image source: pbubbles86
#48 Beijing Air And Space Museum
Image source: [deleted]
#49 Casa Angolo By Cogite Architects
Image source: Otherwise_Wrangler11
#50 Forest Villa In Hakone By Studio Noa
Image source: Otherwise_Wrangler11
#51 This Japanese House Designed By G Architects Studio Feels Like A Zen Retreat
Image source: Otherwise_Wrangler11
#52 A House In Akishima (Tokyo) That Balances Concrete And Wood
Image source: Otherwise_Wrangler11
#53 Tadao Ando Designed This House That Looks Like A Concrete Periscope
Image source: Otherwise_Wrangler11
#54 Kinetic Installation In Lanzarote By Vincent Leroy
Image source: n3xus1oN
#55 Pantanal Biopark By Ohtake
Image source: n3xus1oN
#56 Bosco Verticale By Boeri Studio
Image source: n3xus1oN
#57 La Caverne Du Pont Neuf By Jr
Image source: n3xus1oN
#58 Skinny House Built On A Tiny Lot Feels Bigger
Image source: n3xus1oN
#59 Zaha In Prague
Image source: Scale_Model_Citizen
#60 Zaha
Image source: Scale_Model_Citizen
#61 A Fully Livable Home Squeezed Into Just 1.8 Meters
Image source: jutaku
#62 Central Florida Library David Adjaye
Image source: New-Ferret6974
#63 Maxxi By Zaha
Image source: Scale_Model_Citizen
#64 Belgian House
Image source: New-Ferret6974
#65 The Sydney Opera House Is A True Testament To Art And Architectural Innovation
Image source: [deleted]
#66 Alta Tower In Le Havre, France: A Striking Addition To The City Skyline
Image source: [deleted]
#67 Vitra Fire Station By Zaha
Image source: Scale_Model_Citizen
#68 Royal Ontario Museum (Rom) In Toronto, Canada
Image source: Arra_B0919
#69 Minimalist Italian Villa In Salento, By Margine
Image source: New-Ferret6974
#70 Would You Recognize Where This Building Is Without Context?
Image source: RemarkableMany6297
#71 Jubilee Church, Rome (Italy) By Richard Meier. Built In 2003
Image source: Forsaken-Assist-1325
#72 This Building Is Outside Of Segovia, Spain, And I Have No Idea What It Is
Image source: MikeGinnyMD
#73 When Architecture Becomes Art – Nemestudio’s Cs2 House In Denver
Image source: [deleted]
#74 Lincoln Center For The Performing Arts – Matthew G. Bisanz (Photo)
Image source: prescribedfires
#75 House Of The Government Of The Moscow Region (Oblast)
Image source: slorth_afk
#76 Bank Of Central African States
Image source: [deleted]
#77 A Concrete Box House Hanging Off A Hillside In Kanagawa
Image source: Otherwise_Wrangler11
#78 House By Atelier Tekuto That Looks Like A Puzzle
Image source: Otherwise_Wrangler11
#79 Autobahnkirche Siegerland, Wilnsdorf, Germany By Schneider + Schumacher Completed In 2013
Image source: Forsaken-Assist-1325
#80 A Forest Datum By Aa Design & Make (Architectural Association)
Image source: n3xus1oN
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