1 | Fallingwater, Pennsylvania
Frank Lloyd Wright, 1937
Suggested by archconcord
Fallingwater is “conceivably the most influential use of cantilevered concrete in history”, according to reader archconcord. Also known as the Kaufmann Residence, the house is built on top of a waterfall in the Bear Run stream in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Although Wright is one of America’s most famous architects and Fallingwater is now a national historic landmark, Wright’s lack of experience in using reinforced concrete and the adventurous cantilever design caused lots of disputes between Wright, his client and the contractor during the construction.
2 | Villa Saitan, Kyoto
Eastern Design Office, 2006
Suggested by ccmac10
The idea of combining artificial material and nature is the basis of this construction. The building is covered by a concrete wall with holes shaped like leaves, roots and clouds, giving it the appearance of a concrete plant. Just inside the entrance is a small traditional Japanese garden.
3 | The Civic Centre, Newcastle
George Kenyon, 1967
Suggested by PeterLoud3
This creation from the post-war reconstruction period is often introduced as a modern classic building that includes both Newcastle’s long-lasting tradition and cutting-edge design. The main tower is capped by a copper beacon that is decorated by a circle of sea horses. The Civic Centre is also famous for its modern sculpture, David Wynne’s River God Tyne, which portrays the god of the river in a human body.
4 | Habitat 67, Montreal
Moshe Safdie, 1967
Suggested by mikedow
In this Canadian housing complex, 354 identical prefabricated concrete units are arranged in random combinations, forming 146 residences. Habitat ’67 was originally designed as a thesis project for Safdie’s architecture master’s degree at McGill University. The concept was to introduce a new lifestyle to guarantee people privacy, fresh air and gardens in order to resolve the issues caused by overpopulation in urban areas.
5 | Sydney Opera House
Jorn Utzon, 1973
Suggested by MoondyneJoe and mrhodes
“It really should be on this list,” lamented mrhodes. “It defined many of the modern aspects of concrete.” The construction is characterised by its roofs, formed by huge precast concrete shells that comprise 1,056,006 V-shaped tiles. The building is one of the most notable examples of modern expressionist architecture.
6 | National Theatre, London
Denys Lasdun, 1976
Suggested by JoninWhitby
The style of this building, especially the abundant use of Beton brut concrete, caused much controversy at the time of construction. Lasdum said: “Concrete is a very intractable material, but it can be a beautiful material if it is used in the way its own nature intends it to be used... It is a sort of sculpture that you can only do with reinforced concrete, but you need to work to a certain scale... It is not a cosy little material”
7 | Zvartnots International Airport, Yerevan
M Khachikyan, A Tarkhanyan, S Qalashyan, L Cherkezyan, M Baghdasaryan, H Tigranyan, Arthur Meschian, 1971
Suggested by tiojo
Located 7.5 miles west of the Armenian capital Yerevan, this airport is one of the country’s most recognisable modern buildings. It was designed by a team who won an open architectural design competition held in 1970. In the 1980s the airport was renovated, constructing a new terminal due to the traffic demands of the Soviet Union.
8 | The Lotus Temple, Delhi
Fariborz Sahba, 1986
Suggested by stevenjameshyde
As its name suggests, the Lotus Temple is a Baha’i house of worship whose design is inspired by the lotus flower. The temple features a dome covered by 27 petals made of white marble. The Lotus Temple has won several awards: not only in architecture but also in religious, artistic and political fields.
9 | Marina City, Chicago
Bertrand Goldberg, 1964
Suggested by Attrill
“Any list of concrete architecture should certainly include at least one building by Bertrand Goldberg,” complains reader Attrill. The mixed-use building complex Marina City takes up an entire city block in Chicago. At the time of construction, the two corncob-shaped towers were the tallest buildings in the world that used reinforced concrete, and also the tallest residential buildings.
10 | Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavik
Guðjón Samúelsson, 1945-1986
Suggested by TheDogga
The design of this Lutheran parish church is inspired by the basalt lava flows that characterise Icelandic landscapes. It is the largest church in Iceland, reaching up to 73 metres (244 feet). The church is also famous for its vast pipe organ of 5275 pipes that was made by the German organ builder, Johannes Klais.
