20 Best Architects in the World

1. Frank Gehry

Frank Gehry is seen as one of the most important architects of our time and a master of contemporary architecture. His numerous buildings across the world are considered works of art and are testament to his brilliance as creator par excellence. His works embrace modernism, deconstructivism and also incorporated the "funk" cultural movement as well.

Major Works:

• El Peix

• Gehry Towers

• Dancing House

• The Museum of Pop Art

2. Antoni Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi was synonymous with the great Catalan Modernism. He was deeply motivated by nature and religion, the tenets of which can be found in almost all of his works. Seven of his works are declared as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

Major Works:

• Casa Mila

• Park Güello

• Casa Batlló

• Nativity façade

3. Le Corbusier

Le Corbusier was a highly influential and at the same time controversial figure. He was one of the major names in urban planning and a founder of CIAM( Congrès Internationaux architecture moderne). He had worked across Europe and also has designed buildings in India.

Major Works:

• Maison Blanche

• Villa La Roche-Jeanneret

• Villa Savoye

• UN Headquarters

4. Louis Kahn

Known for his Monumental and Monolithic works, Louis Kahn is considered one of the best architects of all time. He was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and has won an AIA Gold Medal as well.

Major Works:

• Salk Institute

• Arts United Centre

• Hurva Synagogue

• IIM Ahmedabad

5. Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright is perhaps one of the greatest architects in the world. His architectural philosophy was dubbed by him as organic architecture. His work " Falling Water" is called the best all-time work of American Architecture. He had been an apprentice of legendary architects like Louis Sullivan, who is known as the father of skyscrapers and modernism as well as Joseph Lyman Silsbee. A selection of his works is declared as world heritage sites by UNESCO.

Major Works:

• Falling Water

• Unity Temple

• Imperial Hotel, Tokyo

• Park Inn Hotel

6. Santiago Calatrava

Santiago Calatrava is one of the most famous architects in the world. His works often resemble living organisms and are often identified by bridges supported by single-leaning pylons. He is also counted among one of the best living architects in the world.

Major Works:

• Turning Torso

• Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge

• City of Arts and Sciences

• Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía

7. Steven Holl

Steven Holl is one of the best American born architects in the world. Inspired by the architecture philosopher Juhani Uolevi Pallasmaa and Maurice Jean Jacques Merleau-Ponty, he has created outstanding works all across the world. His designs are structured on the philosophy of phenomenology.

Major Works:

• 2019 REACH expansion of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

• Linked Hybrid Beijing

• Turbulence House

• Architecture & Landscape Architecture Library, University of Minnesota

8. Ceasar Pelli

Ceasar Pelli has a reputation for crafting some of the tallest towers in the world. A huge name in modern architecture, he has often designed amazing structures that fit the zeitgeist of the modern world. He has also been awarded the AIA Gold Medal.

Major Works:

• Petronas Towers

• World Financial Centre

• Salesforce Tower

• Transbay Transit Centre

• Landmark Tower

9. Tadao Ando

Tadao Ando is perhaps the most famous among the self-taught architects of the world. Born in Japan, he is influenced by the sophistication of simplicity of "Haiku" poetry. His approach to architecture was categorized as Critical Regionalism by Francesco Dal Co. He is also the recipient of the famous Pritzker Prize and AIA Gold Medal.

Major Works:

• Church of Light

• Row House ( Azuma House)

• Langen Foundation

10. Thom Mayne

Reputed for his Unconventional and Bold Architectural wonders, Thom Mayne is considered one of the best architects in the world. He is also one of the founders of Morphosis.

Major Works:

• Caltrans HQ

• University of Toronto

• Wayne L Morse Court House, USA

11. Zaha Hadid

Dame Zaha Hadid was a British Iraqi Architect who was known for her daring experiments in architecture and is seen as a major figure in modern architecture. Heavily influenced by Russian Avante Garde and Suprematism, Zaha Hadid went on to create many modern marvels. She is also the first woman to win Pritzker Architecture Prize and had also won a Stirling Prize.

Major Works:

• Bridge Pavillion

• Heyder Aliavev Centre

• MAXXI

• Daxing International Airport

12. Philip Johnson

One of the major proponents of modern and post-modern architecture, Philip Johnson is known to have crafted some of the finest architectural masterpieces of the modern world. He received the very first Pritzker Prize and has also won AIA Gold Medal.

Major Works:

• The Glass House

• IDS Centre

• Thanksgiving Square

• Crystal Cathedral

• Lipstick Building

13. Norman Foster

A key figure in modern British Architecture, Norman Foster is known as one of the best architects in the world. Often synonymous with High Tech architecture, his innovative use of glass and steel has spawned many great modern architectural marvels. The iconic Apple Park is one of his major works

Major Works:

1. Crystal Tower

2. HSBC Building Hong Kong

3. Apple Park

4. Heart Tower

5. Wembley Stadium

14. Rafael Moneo

Rafael Moneo is one of the greatest Spanish Architects of all time and has created some of the best architectural wonders of the modern era. He is well known for combining aesthetics with functionality.

Major Works:

• Valladolid Science Museum

• Cathedral of our Lady of Angels

• National Museum of Roman Arts

15. Jeanne Gang

Jeanne Gang is one of the most famous female architects in the world and her masterpieces St Regis and Aqua is recognized as the tallest woman designed buildings in the world.

Major Works:

• St Regis Chicago

• 40 Tenth Avenue

• MIRA

• One Hundred Above the Park

• Aqua Tower

16. Daniel Burnham

Daniel Burnham was one of the most famous architects in the world. He was one of the key figures in the Beaux Arts Movement and was the Director of Works for the World's Columbian Exposition. He was also a great city planner and had designed downtown of Washington DC and the plan of Chicago.

Major Works:

• Union Station

• Flatiron Building

• Fisher Building

17. B V Doshi

BV Doshi is perhaps the most famous Indian born architect in the world. He had worked under Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. His works are considered greatly influential and have won both Padma Shri and Pritzker Prize.

Major Works:

• Tagore Memorial Hall

• IIM Bangalore

18. Toyo Ito

Toyo Ito is a well-known Japanese architect that creates unique and contemporary designs that mix in with the natural environment. Born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1941, he founded Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects in 1971. Ito has won various prizes throughout his career, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2013 for his innovative contributions to the industry. His work generally emphasizes fluidity, lightness, and the incorporation of nature into architectural environments.

Major Works:

• Sendai Mediatheque

• TOD'S Omotesando Building

• Taipei Performing Arts Center

• National Taichung Theater

• Torre Realia BCN

19. Peter Zumthor

Peter Zumthor, born in Basel, Switzerland in 1943, is highly regarded as an architect noted for his minimalist approach and emphasis on sensory experience. He values workmanship, materiality, and the integration of architecture into its natural environment. Zumthor's work includes museums, chapels, and residential structures, each marked by their tranquil simplicity and great attention to detail.

Major Works:

• Thermal Baths Vals

• Kunsthaus Bregenz

• Bruder Klaus Field Chapel

• Serpentine Gallery Pavilion

• Kolumba Museum

20. Sou Fujimoto

Sou Fujimoto is a Japanese architect noted for his inventive and imaginative designs that frequently blur the line between building and nature. Fujimoto was born in Hokkaido in 1971 and formed his own firm, Sou Fujimoto Architects, in Tokyo in 2000. He was recognized internationally for his distinct architectural style, which featured transparency, lightness, and organic shapes.

Major Works:

• Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013

• House NA

• Musashino Art University Museum & Library

• L'Arbre Blanc

• House of Hungarian Music

Best Architects in the World - Bonus

Renzo Piano

Renzo Piano is one of the most prominent and renowned architects in the world who have designed several popular architectural marvels in the world. Some of the most famous buildings designed by Renzo Piano are - The Shard in London, Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern and Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Renzo Piano received the Pritzker Price in 1998, entitling as one of the highest achievement in architecture.

Rem Koolhaas

Rem Koolhaas is the father of some of the prominent architectural marvels in Portugal, such as Casa Da Musica and Seattle Public Library. Rem Koolhaas is a famous Dutch architect and is considered to be one of the best architects in the world. His designs is a perfect amalgamation of modernity and tradition giving rise to several innovative architectural marvels across the globe.

Ieoh Ming Pei

Ieoh Ming Pei, also renowned as I M Pei is one of the sought-after Chinese-American architects, well known for his iconic steel and glass buildings. Some of the most prominent architectural marvel designed by I M Pei are Louvre Museum Pyramid situated in Paris and John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston. Pei's designs comprised several geometric patterns, such as triangles, squares, and circles. This one of the bets architects in the world was deceased at the age of 102 and has lived an inspiring life.

Eero Saarinen

Born in Kirkkonummi, Finland, on August 20, 1910, Eero Saarinen is a renowned Finnish-American architect. He was the father of an array of innovative designs and created several architectural marvels that effectively became some of the major landmarks of the world.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

A German-American architect, known for his pioneers in modern architecture, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, is next up in the list of best architects in the world. He was commonly referred to by the name, Mies, which is his surname. Establishing his own perspective in the architectural style, that represents modern times, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe has crafted several buildings using contemporary materials and construction methods. One of his philosophies is world-famous, and it goes like this - "Less is More, God is in the details".

Also Read: Indian Women Architects

These were the top architects of the world. Now, read our blog on Best Architects in India.

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