Famous architects: 10 men & women who shaped our urban landscapes

Our countdown starts with Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, also known as Le Corbusier. His designs have laid the foundation for many stylistic avenues, e.g. purism and brutalism. After completing an apprenticeship in goldsmiths and engraving as well as a university degree in architecture, the Swiss native began experimenting with steel and iron concrete. In 1914, he developed the so-called Dom-Ino house – a highly efficient construction method for apartment complexes based on a concrete skeleton structure. 

Our countdown starts with Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, also known as Le Corbusier. His designs have laid the foundation for many stylistic avenues, e.g. purism and brutalism. After completing an apprenticeship in goldsmiths and engraving as well as a university degree in architecture, the Swiss native began experimenting with steel and iron concrete. In 1914, he developed the so-called Dom-Ino house – a highly efficient construction method for apartment complexes based on a concrete skeleton structure. 

Le Corbusier sought to counteract the shortage of affordable housing in the 20th century, particularly among industrial workers. Under the leadership of Bauhaus architect Mies van der Rohe, he drafted innovative concepts for the future of living – always focused on combining form and function in the simplest manner. During the 1950s, he took this approach even further with the Unité d’Habitation: a model for high-rises that house private, corporate, and commercial spaces in a vertical arrangement. Defying critics who decried Le Corbusier’s matter-of-fact style as “soulless”, he ranks among the most famous architects today. No less than 17 of his buildings have earned a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage List.   

How far can materials and static possibilities be pushed to the extreme? This question played a central role in the projects of Frank Gehry, a Toronto native with Jewish-Polish roots. Now considered one of the best architects in the world, Gehry is known for many signature elements: fragmented geometry, uneven edges, walls seemingly turned outwards, and unusual materials such as corrugated iron or plywood.

How far can materials and static possibilities be pushed to the extreme? This question played a central role in the projects of Frank Gehry, a Toronto native with Jewish-Polish roots. Now considered one of the best architects in the world, Gehry is known for many signature elements: fragmented geometry, uneven edges, walls seemingly turned outwards, and unusual materials such as corrugated iron or plywood. His constructions might not appeal to everyone’s taste – but they always leave a lasting impression.  

This certainly holds true for the so-called Dancing House at the historical centre of Prague, which was completed in 1966. It consists of two towers that symbolise a pair of dancers, inspired by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Typical Gehry features: curved lines and windows in shifted positions. 

No doubt that Ludwig Mies van der Rohe has shaped Bauhaus architecture like no other. One of his masterpieces is the Barcelona Pavilion, built in 1929 for the world exhibition in Spain. But only few people know that he completed this project together with his partner Lilly Reich, who conceptualised the whole interior space.   

No doubt that Ludwig Mies van der Rohe has shaped Bauhaus architecture like no other. One of his masterpieces is the Barcelona Pavilion, built in 1929 for the world exhibition in Spain. But only few people know that he completed this project together with his partner Lilly Reich, who conceptualised the whole interior space.   

Reich initially underwent training in crank embroidery in Vienna before moving back to Berlin in 1911. She began to work as a furniture designer and joined the German Association of Craftsmen, even taking on the position of director in 1920. After WW II, she taught interior design and building theory at the University of Arts in Berlin. Reich also kept her own studio there, until she passed away at the age of 62.   

Another woman who stood out with her building designs was Lina Bo Bardi. Born and raised in Italy, she opened her first own studio at the age of 28 in Milan. In 1946, she emigrated to Brazil with her husband Pietro Maria Bardi and continued her work from there. Bo Bardi understood architecture as a means to create social spaces and thus enable cultural exchanges.

Another woman who stood out with her building designs was Lina Bo Bardi. Born and raised in Italy, she opened her first own studio at the age of 28 in Milan. In 1946, she emigrated to Brazil with her husband Pietro Maria Bardi and continued her work from there. Bo Bardi understood architecture as a means to create social spaces and thus enable cultural exchanges. She did so by combining heavy materials and linear shapes with surprisingly filigree elements. One example is the architects’ own famous home, the Casa de Vidro in Sao Paulo: thin slabs of reinforced concrete rest upon slim round pillars. At the front, a bright living space is connected to its green surroundings through a glass facade. The house’s rear leans on a slope so that private rooms remain hidden behind a closed wall. There is however an opening through which you can look onto the green backyard from inside.  

From the Millennium Bridge in London and the Copenhagen Tower in Denmark to Apple‘s headquarters in Silicon Valley: Norman Foster has made it on our list of the most famous architects for good reason. The Brit not only won the coveted Pritzker Prize – he even received a knighthood in honour of his achievements. Foster always sought to combine high-tech materials such as glass and steel with highest ecological standards. The Gherkin, an energy-efficient high rise in London, illustrates this perfectly: its glass facade floods the building with light and helps regulate indoor temperatures at the same time.   

One cannot talk about famous female architects without mentioning Zaha Hadid. Her futuristic constructions appear to defy gravity at times, turning concrete, steel, and glass into flowing waves. Born in Bagdad in 1950, Hadid grew up in a western-oriented family. She studied mathematics at the American University of Beirut and then taught architecture at the Architectural Association School (AA) in London between 1972 and 1977.  

In 1993, she realised her first own draft with the Vitra Fire Station in Weil, Germany. Her breakthrough came fairly late in life (at the age of 42), mainly because critics had deemed her drafts too unrealistic. But eventually, Hadid’s unique building and furniture designs came to the forefront all over the world. One of her last projects was the Messner Mountain Museum in the Dolomite Alps. At 2,275 metres above sea level, the partially underground building seemingly merges into the surrounding rock formation. Inside, visitors can enjoy a fully immersive experience thanks to Gira KNX technology.  

Zaha Hadid finally received a Pritzker Prize in 2004. She continued to live in Great Britain until her sudden death in 2014.  

Born in Poland to a Jewish family in 1946, the American planner Daniel Libeskind has one major mission: create buildings that tell human stories. His layout of the Jewish Museum in Berlin, for example, visualises the fragmentation of the German-Jewish community with a contorted zigzag structure.   

Following 9/11, Libeskind developed the masterplan for what’s now known as Ground Zero in New York City – another milestone in the architects’ famous portfolio. Working together with Manhattan locals affected by the tragedy, he managed to translate raw, authentic emotions into a physical space.   

Kazuyo Sejima is one of the few women whose building designs already rose to fame during her lifetime. After studying architecture in Tokyo, she founded the SANAA studio with Ryue Nishizawa in 1995. Sejima’s drafts have a minimalist appeal, subtle and effortless. She uses materials such as steel, exposed concrete, glass, or aluminium and loves to play with lighting and transparency.

Kazuyo Sejima is one of the few women whose building designs already rose to fame during her lifetime. After studying architecture in Tokyo, she founded the SANAA studio with Ryue Nishizawa in 1995. Sejima’s drafts have a minimalist appeal, subtle and effortless. She uses materials such as steel, exposed concrete, glass, or aluminium and loves to play with lighting and transparency. One example is her Zollverein Cube in Essen, Germany: despite its concrete facade, the dynamic arrangement of windows gives the construction an almost dance-like quality.  

After a Tsunami had destroyed huge parts of Japan in 2011, Sejima joined forces with other famous architects to launch the project “Home-For-All”. Their goal: provide living spaces where people affected by the Tsunami could come together and connect. This idea had already taken shape in Sejima’s mind when she curated the International Architecture Exhibition in Venice in 2010. In the same year, she and her partner were also honoured with the Pritzer Prize.    

Jean Nouvel grew up in Fumel, a small commune in the Southwest of France. He studied architecture at the Beaux-Arts de Paris (National School of Fine Arts), driven by a fascination for buildings that reflect their spatial, temporal, and social context. Each of his constructions is a true one-of-a-kind, as the now famous architect always surprises onlookers with radical and polarising ideas. 

Jean Nouvel grew up in Fumel, a small commune in the Southwest of France. He studied architecture at the Beaux-Arts de Paris (National School of Fine Arts), driven by a fascination for buildings that reflect their spatial, temporal, and social context. Each of his constructions is a true one-of-a-kind, as the now famous architect always surprises onlookers with radical and polarising ideas. 

The so-called Louvre in Abu Dhabi, for example, spans across 24,000 square metres on the artificial island Saadiya. Its massive white dome is made from nine layers of aluminium and steel that merge into geometrical patterns. With intricate ornaments reminiscent of oriental bazars, Nouvel thus payed homage to the region’s cultural heritage.  

His design for the National Museum of Qatar, on the other hand, was inspired by a desert rose: more than 500 ceramic plates in a seemingly arbitrary structure make the massive complex appear like a blossoming flower.  

Nouvel’s visionary designs earned him many awards, including the Pritzker Prize in 2008.   

Regine Leibinger’s career could have taken quite a different turn – considering that her father was the head of Trumpf GmbH & Co. KG, a company specialising in the manufacture of machine tools. But instead of following in his footsteps, she decided to study architecture at the Technical University of Berlin. Leibinger then moved on to Harvard University in Cambridge, USA, where she completed her master’s degree in 1991.  

Together with her partner Frank Barkow, Leibinger has been running a German-American in Berlin since 1993. The duo always “think big“, seeking out endeavours of international prestige. One of the two architects‘ most famous buildings is the Tour Total in Berlin, a 17-storey skyscraper that serves as the headquarters for the French company TotalEnergies. Other projects include the Serpentine Summer House in Kensington Park, London, and the Estrel Tower in Berlin (set to open in 2024).