Modernism
Explore modernism across art, architecture and design
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A guide to John Lautner: the architect who turned Palm Springs into a modernist mecca
American architect John Lautner's gravity-defying residential projects have probably appeared in more movies than the work of any other architect. The Sheats-Goldstein residence, the UFO-like Malin House and the Elrod Residence are just a few of his greatest hits. Here we explore his influence on the making of Palm Springs
By Bethan Ryder Last updated
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Modernist churches: we give praise for the genre’s concrete geometries
Modernist churches offer awe and architectural inspiration, blending concrete geometries with spiritual reverence; we take a tour
By Ellie Stathaki Published
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The modernist home of musician Imogen Holst gets Grade II listing
The daughter of the composer Gustav Holst lived here from 1964 until her death, during which time the home served a locus for her own composition work, which included assisting Benjamin Britten
By Anna Solomon Published
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Explore the Perry Estate, a lesser-known Arthur Erickson project in Canada
The Perry estate – a residence and studio built for sculptor Frank Perry and often visited by his friend Bill Reid – is now on the market in North Vancouver
By Hadani Ditmars Published
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Take a deep dive into The Palm Springs School ahead of the region’s Modernism Week
New book ‘The Palm Springs School: Desert Modernism 1934-1975’ is the ultimate guide to exploring the midcentury gems of California, during Palm Springs Modernism Week 2025 and beyond
By Ellie Stathaki Published
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Meet Minnette de Silva, the trailblazing Sri Lankan modernist architect
Sri Lankan architect Minnette de Silva is celebrated in a new book by author Anooradha Iyer Siddiq, who looks into the modernist's work at the intersection of ecology, heritage and craftsmanship
By Léa Teuscher Published
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Palm Springs Modernism Week 2025: let the desert architecture party begin
Palm Springs Modernism Week 2025 launches on 13 February, marking the popular annual desert event’s 20th anniversary, celebrated this year through more midcentury marvels than ever
By Carole Dixon Published
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Inside Bell Labs, the modernist vision behind Severance's minimalist setting
We explore the history of Bell Labs - now known as Bell Works - the modernist Eero Saarinen-designed facility in New Jersey, which inspired the dystopian minimalist setting of 'Severance'
By Jonathan Bell Published
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We zoom in on Ontario Place, Toronto’s lake-defying 1971 modernist showpiece
We look back at Ontario Place, Toronto’s striking 1971 showpiece and modernist marvel with an uncertain future
By Dave LeBlanc Published
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Frank Lloyd Wright’s Weisblat House, a Usonian modernist Michigan gem, could be yours
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Weisblat House in Michigan is on the market – a chance to peek inside the heritage modernist home in the countryside
By Audrey Henderson Published
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Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globe
Modernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; here, we explore the genre by continent
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
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Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: Formafantasma revisits the masculine codes of modernist design
Formafantasma wins a Wallpaper* Design Award 2025, for its Milan exhibition ‘La Casa Dentro’, which took to task the inherent masculinity and conservatism at the heart of modernism
By Hugo Macdonald Published
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The finest brutalist architecture in the world
For some of the world's finest brutalist architecture in London and beyond, scroll below. Can’t get enough of brutalism? Neither can we.
By Jonathan Bell Last updated
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The case of the Ontario Science Centre: a 20th-century architecture classic facing an uncertain future
The Ontario Science Centre by Raymond Moriyama is in danger; we look at the legacy and predicament of this 20th-century Toronto gem
By Dave LeBlanc Published
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Alvar Aalto: our ultimate guide to architecture's father of gentle modernism
Alvar Aalto defined midcentury – and Finnish – architecture like no other, creating his own, distinctive brand of gentle modernism; honouring him, we compiled the ultimate guide
By Vicky Richardson Published
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Design Awards 2025: Alvar Aalto's Finlandia Hall is a modernist gem reborn through sustainability and accessibility
Helsinki's Finlandia Hall, an Alvar Aalto landmark design, has been reborn - highlighting sustainability and accessibility in a new chapter for the modernist classic
By Ellie Stathaki Published
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The three lives of the Edith Farnsworth House: now, a modernist architecture icon open to all
The modernist Edith Farnsworth House has had three lives since its conception in 1951 by Mies van der Rohe; the latest is a sensitive renovation, and it's open to the public
By Audrey Henderson Published
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Inside D.S. & Durga’s new Los Angeles store, inspired by Ray Kappe’s 1960s California home
Cult fragrance brand D.S. & Durga has opened a second Los Angeles store in Silver Lake, inspired by Ray Kappe’s 1967 Pacific Palisades home
By Isabelle Truman Published
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A look inside the home of George Homsey, one of the fathers of pioneering California modernist community Sea Ranch
George Homsey's home opens for the first time since his death, in 2019; see where the architect behind some of the designs for Sea Ranch, the pioneering California modernist community, lived
By Ellie Stathaki Published
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‘It was a golden age of design’: Adam Štěch on modernism’s enduring allure
Czech architectural historian Adam Štěch, whose travelling ‘Elements’ exhibition is at MAK Vienna, on his odyssey to document the world’s modernist marvels, and what's next
By Hiba Alobaydi Published
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Soviet brutalist architecture: beyond the genre's striking image
Soviet brutalist architecture offers eye-catching imagery; we delve into the genre’s daring concepts and look beyond its buildings’ photogenic richness
By Edwin Heathcote Published
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Tour a warm and welcoming modernist sanctuary set on the edge of a Los Angeles canyon
The Rustic Canyon Residence by Assembledge and Jamie Bush brings together the very best of mid-century influences, with an added slice of contemporary Californian craft and style
By Jonathan Bell Published
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Tour this Bel Vista house by Albert Frey, restored to its former glory in Palm Springs
An Albert Frey Bel Vista house has been restored and praised for its revival - just in time for the 2025 Palm Springs Modernism Week Preview
By Hadani Ditmars Published
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A new exhibition marks Chandigarh’s modernist legacy
‘Celebrating the Capitol’, an exhibition of photographic work by architect Noor Dasmesh Singh, opens just in time for the famed modernist Indian city’s anniversary
By Ellie Stathaki Published
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Mona Kuhn’s love affair with Rudolph Schindler’s modernist LA home
‘The Schindler House: A Love Affair’ features artist Mona Kuhn’s surreal-inspired silver prints evoking an impossible love
By Hunter Drohojowska-Philp Published
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Join our tour of London Zoo, its modernist architecture and more
London Zoo is a well-established magnet for younger visitors, but there's plenty for the architecture enthusiast to admire too; our tour explores its modernist treasures for guests of all ages
By Ellie Stathaki Published
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La Grande Motte: touring the 20th-century modernist dream of a French paradise resort
La Grande Motte and its utopian modernist dreams, as seen through the lens of photographers Laurent Kronental and Charly Broyez, who spectacularly captured the 20th-century resort community in the south of France
By Ellie Stathaki Published