They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The beholder can sometimes be an experienced artist or someone who has no love for art or art history, yet still recognizes beauty and enjoys it. Often a matter of discussion, of many people, from scientists, philosophers and artists alike, beauty tends to take on many shapes and forms.
Modern buildings can be simplistic, glass skyscrapers, or works of art, depending on who you ask and who the architect was. There are plenty of beautiful works of art that are modern buildings around the world and following are a couple of them.
Cube Houses – Rotterdam
The Netherlands have always been home to great artists and great architecture. A small country filled with culture. It comes as no surprise that you can find the Cube Houses in Rotterdam. The Cube Houses are houses, as expected, but tilted by 45 degrees and placed upon a hexagonal base. There are 38 of them and all are connected. Their architect, Piet Blom, says that they each represent a tree but connected, a forest. It is inspirational and beautiful.
The Lotus Temple – New Delhi
India is home to some amazing buildings, especially old ones, which date back centuries. Yet, why not build a new building which resembles a giant lotus flower, appropriately named the Lotus Temple? This building looks amazing, with 27 white petals made out of marble, of course, emerging out of the ground, going in different locations. The temple belongs to the Baha’i faith and is an architectural marvel designed by Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba.
US Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel – Colorado
This building has 17 spires and a triangular shape and was built in 1968 to serve as a chapel for multiple religions. It houses multiple religions, namely Islam, Buddhism, Protestantism and Catholicism and of course, Jewish faiths. Not only is this staggering sight, designed by Walter Netsch, something to behold, but also pretty practical in nature.
Guggenheim Museum – Bilbao
A modern museum should look modern, right? This one does look like nothing you have ever seen before. Imagine squarish and oval shapes mixing together to create something rather special. The shapes themselves are distinct enough but parts of the museum are made out of titanium, some of glass and others of stone. It is an amazing mix of materials and shapes which was designed by Frank Gehry and opened to the public in 1997.
Kunstmuseum Moritzburg – Halle
What started off as an early renaissance castle in the 15th century became a full castle in the 19th, only to be renovated in the 20th because parts were completely destroyed, compromising other parts as well. Enrique Sobejano and Fuensanta Nieto designed the added building, which is very modern and an obvious contrast to the castle.
These have been five of the most interesting modern buildings you can find in the world. There are so many of them, so be sure to look them up if you want a larger dose of modern architecture.
