World Architecture Day 2018 marks the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the Union International des Architects (UIA), which was established in the year 1948 to unite architects universally. Celebrated on the first Monday of every October, this day is celebrated to “remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat”. To mark this occasion, let’s take a moment to ponder over the potential of architecture – and, certainly, our socially-conscious remarkable architects – to transform the lives of human beings across the globe. Here comes a dose of inspiration, 7 top architects in the world and a glance into some of their amazing works.

Ranked – 7 Top Architects In The World

The following popular architects transformed the way we think about buildings:

1. Antoni Gaudí

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A Spanish architect from Catalonia, Spain, he is well-known for his extremely unique designs and is the practitioner of Catalan Modernism. His works have an extremely individualized, and one-of-a-kind chic. Most of his works are located in Barcelona, together with his main work, the church of the Sagrada Família and people from all over the world flock in to see his unique works.

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Seven properties built by Gaudí in or near Barcelona swear to his exceptional creative contribution to the development of architecture and building technology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These monuments truly represent an eclectic, as well as a very personal, style. Parque Güell; Casa Mila; Casa Vicens; Palacio Güell; Casa Batlló; Crypt in Colonia Güell and his work on the Nativity façade and Crypt of La Sagrada Familia are few of Gaudi’s exceptional masterpieces.

2. Frank Lloyd Wright

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A Wisconsin native and one of the most celebrated architects in the world. Wright perfected a distinctly American style of architecture which emphasized simplicity and natural beauty in contrast to the intricate and lavish architecture which had prevailed in Europe. He strongly believed that buildings should serve to honor and enhance the natural beauty around them.

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With apparently superhuman energies, Wright designed 1,100 plus buildings during his lifetime. Falling Water, a beautiful residence in Bear Run, PA is one of the most remarkable building designed by him, and is hailed as one of the coolest houses and finest pieces of architecture in the world.

3.  Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

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A German-American architect commonly mentioned as “Mies”, his surname. Along with Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius he too is regarded as one of the pioneers of modernist architecture.

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It would be too difficult to imagine what the skyline of Chicago would look like without Mies. He did not design buildings with a particular or rigid style in mind. For him, the philosophy is what comes first. Mies designed a collection of buildings with steel and concrete frames wrapped in bricks and glass curtain walls, including his masterpiece: Crown Hall. In 1960, he was awarded the AIA Gold Medal, which is the highest prize given by the American Association of Architects.

4. Philip C Johnson

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Johnson played a decisive role in defining the American architecture during the 20^th century. He pioneered and championed the 2 architectural movements which most affected the urban landscape during the last 60 years: the international style and postmodernism.

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He is best known for his works of Modern architecture, which include the Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, and his works of postmodern architecture, 550 Madison Avenue, and 190 South La Salle Street in Chicago. He was awarded an American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in in 1978, and the first Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1979.

5. Eero Saarinen

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Born to world renowned parents, architect and Cranbrook Academy of Art director Eliel Saarinen and textile artist Loja Saarinen, Eero Saarinen was always surrounded by design. He was a Finnish American architect and industrial designer known for his neo-futuristic style.

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Saarinen is recognized for designing the Washington Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, and the TWA Flight Center in New York City.

6. Richard Rogers

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One of the leaders of the British high-tech movement (also known as Structural Expressionism) that uses high-tech and industrial features. He is noted for his functionalist and modernist designs in high-tech architecture.

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Rogers is conceivably best known for his work on the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Senedd in Cardiff, the Lloyd’s building and Millennium Dome both in London, and the European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg. RIBA Gold Medal, Thomas Jefferson Medal, RIBA Stirling Prize, Minerva Medal, and the Pritzker Prize are few of the awards bagged by Rogers.

7. Frank Gehry

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A Canadian-born American architect, who undoubtedly is the most famous in the world right now. This award-winning architect has spent nearly half-a-century disrupting the very meaning of design within architecture.

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From the iconic Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, Gehry has proven time and again the force that’s produced when an imaginative design is done masterfully. Gehry was awarded the Pritzker Prize in the year 1989. He is a man who has gone beyond limits when it comes to design and architecture.

On That Thought

Above listed were the top architects in the world, from the likes of Antoni Gaudi to Fran Gehry each one listed above is remarkable. These are the people who have made a huge mark and influenced the way the buildings structured we see every day are constructed. It may be easy to forget them in the daily grind, but today lets appreciate all the great work they did and are still doing.

From WienerBerger Team All you Architects of the world – Enjoy your Day!

Happy World Architecture Day

Curated by editor at  Wienerberger India

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