We’ve all been there – gazing at an old building, impressed by its beauty and splendour, yet feeling slightly frustrated about not being able to tell anything about the architectural style. That stops now! Our guide to architecture for globetrotters will equip you with the tools to identify classical Greek from classical Roman, brutalism from neo-futurism and so on.
Check it out before your next holiday and impress your travel partner with your newfound knowledge on architecture.
Classical Greek (circa 600BC-146BC)
The Parthenon temple in Athens is probably the most famous example of classical Greek architecture
It all began with the old Greeks and Romans. Classical Greek and Roman architecture are considered to be the most influential styles coming out of Europe, paving the way for later designs.
The old Greeks had a soft spot for limestone and marble. Their designs were characterised by columns (pillars) and capitals (top end of columns) that followed strict proportions, referring to Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders (decorative styles). These three order designs, from plain to incorporated scrolls to acanthus leaves, respectively, are the key when it comes to distinguishing the Greek from the Roman style.
Find it here:
Temple of Zeus; Olympia, Greece
Delphi; Phocis, Greece
Paestum Temples; Paestum, Italy
Classical Roman (circa 509BC-4th century AD)
The Colosseum in Rome was definitely built to impress … and it still does
The Romans were stoners – that is they were into stone constructions. The focal points were the domes, engineered to strengthen the buildings and add a new aesthetic, along with the arches, which reduced the need for many columns. Two new orders were introduced by the Romans; the Tuscan, which was an even simpler style, and the Composite, adding a combination of floral accents and scrolls on the capitals.
Find it here:
Maison Carrée; Nîmes, France
Temple of Baalbek; Baalbek, Lebanon
Library of Celsus; Ephesus
Romanesque (circa 1000-1140)
Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio, which is one of the oldest churches in Milan, was rebuilt in the 11th century in Romanesque style
Religion dominated all aspects of society during the medieval era when churches were THE thing to build. The Romanesque architecture was strict and simple. It’s notably characterized by semi-circular arches, massively thick walls, pillars, groin vaults (uniquely shaped ceilings), large towers and the succession of arches called arcades, which are commonly found in walkways.
Find it here:
St. Maria im Kapitol; Cologne, Germany
Leaning Tower of Pisa; Pisa, Italy
Vézelay Abbey; Vézelay, France
Gothic (circa 1140-1520)
Milan’s famous Gothic cathedral Duomo di Milano with its intense spires
Religion was also omnipresent in the flourishing Gothic architectural style, which developed during the end of the medieval era. This was expressed with divinely pointed arches, intense spires (pyramidal structures on building tops) and religious carvings.
Find it here:
Notre-Dame de Reims; Reims, France
Westminster Abbey, London, UK
Burgos Cathedral; Burgos, Spain
Renaissance (circa 1425-1600)
St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City is an impressive example of Renaissance architecture
Literally meaning rebirth, the Renaissance brought a revival of the thinking and values from the classical era. This revival began in Italy before it spread throughout Europe.
Design-wise the Renaissance was characterised by symmetry, classical domes and rounded arches replacing the gothic spires and pointed arches from the ‘dark’ medieval days.
Find it here:
El Escorial; San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain
Børsen; Copenhagen, Denmark
Jerónimos Monastery; Lisbon, Portugal
Baroque (circa 1600-1800)
The baroque Palace of Versailles outside Paris: they liked a bit of extravagance back then
Extravagance and flamboyance define the baroque era. Expressive and to some extent sculpture-like forms with attention to intensifying embellishments are the norm.
This created a more theatrical effect with interior and exterior lighting, encouraging heavier shadows accentuating the design.
Find it here:
Karlskirche; Vienna, Austria
Zacatecas Cathedral; Zacatecas, Mexico,
Pommersfelden Castle; Pommersfelden, Germany
Rococo (circa 1720-1789)
Rococo can also be found outside France. In Pushkin, Russia you can glaze at the elegant Catherine Palace
Rococo, an intensely decorative French style, arose as a reaction to the baroque aesthetics. It was more radical, ignoring the splendor and strictness of baroque, with increased playfulness, lighter colors, curves, asymmetry and elaborate designs.
Find it here:
Esterháza; Fertőd, Hungary
Residence Museum; Munich, Germany
Kinsky Palace; Prague, Czech Republic
Neoclassical (circa 1715-1820)
The White House in Washington, DC: the President of the United States resides and works in neoclassical surroundings
Opulent and extravagant designs didn’t go down well with the neoclassical architects. Instead they – like their colleagues from the Renaissance – found inspiration in the classical era. Simplicity reemerged and it was depicted by clean and elegant lines, large buildings, massive columns and perfect proportions. Needless to say, symmetry was hot!
Find it here:
Museo Nacional Del Prado; Madrid, Spain
Arc de Triomphe; Paris, France
Vilnius Cathedral; Vilnius, Lithuania
Art nouveau (circa 1885-1910)
The Old England building is actually art nouveau and in Brussels
Ahhhh … the belle époque! This was a period of optimism, peace and cultural innovations such as art nouveau.
The style is famous for its flourishing decorative architecture and art poses. It was a crowning moment in restoring romance to design versus the mass production of simple pragmatic buildings. The expressive and colourful organic-inspired craftsmanship of iron and glass exemplified creativity, while pushing boundaries with form.
Find it here:
Alberta iela; Riga, Latvia
Bedö Ház; Budapest, Hungary
Majolikahaus; Vienna, Austria
Art deco (circa 1925-1940)
Take a walk along the Bund in Shanghai and gaze at iconic art deco structures
Art deco was intended to fuse a sensible relationship between art and functionality. During this era, architects viewed the mass production and industrialization of functional building elements as canvases or opportunities for enhancement. Materials such as stainless steel, chrome and glass together with bold colours were harmonising in producing luxurious and sophisticated designs.
Find it here:
Le Grand Rex; Paris, France
Altino Arantes; São Paulo, Brazil
South Beach; Miami, FL, US
Read more: take an in-depth look at this style with our guide to art deco architecture
Modernism or International Style (circa 1920s-1980s)
The Bauhaus Building in Dessau was built in 1925-26 and still looks sharp and modern
Cubic and cylindrical shapes, flat roofs, concrete, steel, large windows and asymmetrical forms; all these elements pertain to Modernism, a style many consider to be the most important of the 20th century, at least in terms of function and materials.
It’s responsible for rejecting embellishment or ornaments, supporting the minimalist philosophy in architecture, meaning less is more. Just look up. You’ll find it everywhere.
Find it here:
Congresso Nacional do Brasil; Brasília, Brazil
Villa Dirickx; Brussels, Belgium
Fallingwater; Mill Run, US
Brutalism (circa 1950s-1970s)
Boston City Hall is one of many government projects built in the heyday of brutalism
Alienating, yet alluring – welcome to brutalism! The style is recognizable by its massive concrete appearance, monolithic and rigid geometric style. The term brutalism stems from “béton brut”, meaning raw concrete. It was originally developed for government projects, universities, leisure and shopping centres, which for some reason had to be built in heavy looking materials, have rough and unfinished surfaces, odd shapes, small windows and linear lines.
Find it here:
Barbican Estate; London, UK
Western City Gate, Belgrade, Serbia
Ponte Tower; Johannesburg, South Africa
Structural expressionism or High-tech architecture (1980s)
Exposing steel, concrete and technical equipment in its design: the HSBC bank in Hong Kong is soooo structural expressionistic
What do you get when you integrate technical equipment into the aesthetical design of a building? Structural expressionism, also known as high-tech architecture.
This style responded to Modernism, which was considered to be monotonous and standardised. Spot the style by looking at the building’s skeleton, exposing steel and concrete bits on both the interior and exterior of the structure.
Find it here:
Centre Pompidou; Paris, France
City Hall; London, UK
Internationales Congress Centrum; Berlin, Germany
Postmodern architecture (1945-present)
Enjoy opera and postmodern architecture at the world-famous Sydney Opera House
Highly decorative and characterised by organic or eclectic forms, postmodernism is another style which emerged as a reaction against – you already guessed it – Modernism, addressing its rigid designs and lack of cultural context. The result is a playful design that comes in many colours and symbolic shapes.
Find it here:
The Gherkin; London, UK
The Dancing House; Prague, Czech Republic
Messeturm; Frankfurt, Germany
Neo-futurism (1960s-present)
Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia definitely has a futuristic look
You might be wondering where sustainability fits in when it comes to designing buildings – especially in these times where cities are growing rapidly and environmental concerns are rising. Look no further … the neo-futurists have already thought about it all.
Neo-futurism aims to be an idealistic approach to living in the future, with charming aesthetics and functionalities. New materials are being used to help bring new concepts into reality, while incorporating eco-sustainable solutions to address today’s environmental challenges.
It is viewed to bridge the gap between unhealthy design and conscious solutions, to better reflect human concerns in society.
Find it here:
Heydar Aliyev Center; Baku, Azerbaijan
The Burj Khalifa; Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Pierresvives; Montpellier, France
Deconstructivism (1982-present)
Yes, deconstructivism is asymmetrical and eye-catching! Just take a look at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles
Unorthodox, chaotic and fragmented – deconstructivism rejects decoration, manipulates the structural appearance and appeals optically to illogic design. Emphasis is made on the abstract form of the building and not how it complements its surrounding environment.
In deconstructivism irregularity is hot and symmetry is definitely not. The result: unpredictable and eye-catching.
Find it here:
Guggenheim Museum; Bilbao, Spain
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada
Jewish Museum; Berlin, Germany
Looking for more visual delights?
- Explore abandoned buildings across the globe
- Gaze at monumental European attractions
