Modern architecture in Europe--top picks

If you will be in Germany, then come to Frankfurt. We have quite a few buildings that have won architectural prizes. The Commerz bank which at 300 meters is the tallest office building in Europe, is pretty cool looking. It is like a triangular shaped donut with an atrium that goes all the way up the middle to the top of the building (I love to walk through the lobby. Our Messe Turm, the Main Tower with observation deck and a beautiful mosaic in the foyer called "Frankfurt Stairs", and then we just opened a new mall on the Zeil shopping street called My Zeil. It is fairly amazing, stopping people in their tracks. The Museum of Modern Art building has also won prizes, due to its unusual shape of a giant piece of cake. The inside rooms of the gallery are also unique with their varying shapes, sizes and lighting. We do have the Deutsche Architecture Museum along the river too.

Though not really modern, the I.G. Farben building is also very interesting. When it was built in the 1930's, it was the largest building in the world, after the Pentagon. This was Allied Headquarters after the war, and Eisenhower had his office here. It has this amazing aluminum ceiling and beautiful, curved tinted 3 story windows that are original.

these links will get you started in your researchclick Search Within Results at the bottom to narrow the searchAs a general statement only (subject to many exceptions), cities or portions of cities that were heavily damaged in WW2 tend to have more modern architecture than cities that weren't bombed into rubble--, though this general statement is not applicable to the many cities in Germany where, after WW2, the locals voted to replicate the original architecture rather than bulldoze and start over. As Jo mentioned, Frankfurt voted to start over so you have modern architecture there; whereas Munich and many other cities/towns voted to replicate the historical structures that were destroyed in the war, as did Dresden after they got the financing (they got more money later, after Reunification). Berlin, which was reduced to rubble in the war, has spectacular modern architecture.The East end of London has more modern architecture than some other historic areas, because the bombing raids focused on the East end (but then there's The Eye).Paris, which was largely spared from WW2 destruction, has historic style buildings within the inner core (with notable exceptions such as the Pompidou Center and the Louvre's Pyramid), with much of the modern architecture, such as La Defense, located outside the inner core.Financial centers often have lots of modern architecture: Frankfurt and Milan are examples. Obviously the historical and cultural areas of many cities will not have much modern architecture: examples are Florence and Rome.Modern architecture in Spain: think Barcelona.

Hi Christy,

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain is pretty amazing!

I also like the Pompidou Center and the glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris.

Spain....Guggenheim in Bilbao...La Sagrada Familia, the Casa Mila on Passeig de Gracia, and Park Guell by Gaudi in Barcelona....Puerta de Europa office towers and Gran Via (great Art Deco) in Madrid....Alamillo Bridge in Sevilla. And if you're in Madrid, you must see what they've done with the interior of the old part of the Atocha railway station.

The dome on the Reichstad in Berlin...Pam

I agree with Pamela about Berlin. Please don't miss Berlin! The tall TV tower where you can go up in for a great view of Berlin is cool too! So far in my travels to Europe, Berlin is on top of my list.

In London, the Gherkin (especially from the interior of the Tower of London site,quite a contrast) , London City Hall and the exterior and interior of Lloyd's of London.

Modern...or contemporary, Christy? Or both? As for Modern, Barcelona and Gaudi's Modernisme works are stunning, i.e. Casa Mila and Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell. Never seen anything like it in my life. His notion of taking forms commonly found in nature (waves, caves, trees, for example) and applying them to human buildings...for the dual purpose of glorifying god (he was staunch Catholic who also believed nature was a gateway to the divine) and developing a uniquely Catalan art form...as I said, nothing like it in the world.

Richard Meier has a great church (at least from photos, I've never been) in the suburbs or Rome. Jubilee Church was in Architectural Record & Architecture magazine a few years ago if you have access to them.