A sampling of contemporary architectural gems from around the world.
Great buildings have the power to break convention, defy logic, and inspire visions of the future. Here, we celebrate thirty marvels of modern architecture, from the classic Le Corbusier (Frank Lloyd Wright) to mind-boggling inflated plastic biomes. These gems encompass a wide range of structures, from individual homes, to art museums, to skyscrapers that extend high into the sky. One can only wonder what will result from a greater focus on green building practices in the future.
(above) Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles
Stone Container Building and Cloud Gate, Chicago
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain
Gare do Oriente, Lisbon, Portugal
CCTV Headquarters, Beijing, China
Space Needle, Seattle, Washington
Fallingwater House, Mill Run, Pennsylvania
Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar
Empire State Building, New York, USA
Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France
Jewish Museum, Berlin, Germany
Auditorio Ibirapuera, Sao Paolo, Brazil
Eden Project, Cornwall, England
Bruder Klaus Kapelle, Wachendorf, Germany
Yokohama International Port Terminal, Yokohama, Japan
Tancici Dum, Prague, Czech Republic
Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Library of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
Phaeno Science Center, Wolfsburg, Germany
30 St. Mary Axe, London, England
Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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