Vandelay

The Vandelay collection

Modernist architecture

Modernist architecture explores new ways of building and living through open plans, expressive structures and materials such as concrete, steel and glass. Compare the different forms those ideas take in our collection.

70 buildings in this collection · 21 cities · 11 countries

New National Gallery | Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin
New National Gallery | Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin

Look closer

What to look for

These are useful clues, not a checklist that every Modernist building must satisfy.

Structure and open space

Look for columns carrying the building independently of its walls. Le Corbusier’s five points include pilotis and a free plan, allowing the arrangement of rooms to differ from the structural grid.

Windows and facades

Horizontal window bands and a freely composed facade are two more of those five points. Compare how the examples below arrange openings and admit daylight.

Roof as usable space

A roof garden completes Le Corbusier’s five points. It is one approach within Modernism, rather than a feature of every building in the collection.

Source: UNESCO / ICOMOS evaluation, 2016.

Selected Modernist buildings

12 examples from our collection of 70 buildings. Follow a building’s city guide to explore more examples of this architecture.

The wider context

Architecture in focus

Modernism includes different approaches, rather than one fixed appearance. Le Corbusier’s work illustrates how ideas about structure, light and daily life developed across building types and countries. UNESCO identifies Villa Savoye as an iconic expression of his Five Points of a New Architecture.

Use the buildings in this collection to compare those ideas with other approaches. A glass pavilion and a concrete housing block can offer very different interpretations of modern architecture.

Further reading: UNESCO — The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier.

Where to explore

Start with the cities with the most documented examples in this collection. Each count refers to buildings tagged Modernist in Vandelay.

More cities in this collection

Explore the country guides

Continue to the broader architecture collection for each country.

Architects in this collection

Counts show their documented Modernist buildings. The links open each architect’s wider collection.

More architects in this collection (60)

Before you explore

What does this collection cover?
Vandelay currently documents 70 buildings tagged Modernist across 21 cities. These counts describe our selected catalogue, not a complete inventory. A building can appear under more than one architectural theme.
Can I visit these buildings?
Inclusion in the collection does not mean that a building’s interior is open to visitors. Check the venue’s official website for current access, opening hours and booking requirements.
What does the app add?
Use the map to find documented buildings, open their stories and photo galleries, and see nearby places with live distances in AR. This page offers examples and context; it is not a fixed walking itinerary.

Take it with you

Notice more on your next walk.

Find documented buildings on the map, explore their stories and see nearby places with live distances in AR.

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