Futurism was an artistic and social movement founded in Italy in the early 20th century. Several pioneering architects took the ideology and turned it into a design movement creating urban structures known for lyrical sculptural qualities.
Over the course of the 20th century futurism slowly fell our of favor as space age aesthetics took over. A resurgence known as Neo-Futurism arose in the 1960s and 70s, developed by Buckminster Fuller, as technology rapidly began to drive new and spectacular architectural visions. As we race into the 21st century we are seeing yet another resurgence in futurist architecture.
Driven by incredible advances in engineering technologies, this new futurist aesthetic has resulted in strange alien structures that often feel like they are sets for science fiction stories. From starchitect Zaha Hadid to the expansive MAD Architects, we take a look at some stunning 21 century examples of futurist architecture.
Take a look through our futurist architecture gallery for a trip through this modern and exciting aesthetic.
This modern "Futurism" is completely different. Whether intended by the architect or not, my initial reaction to most of these designs is not pleasant surprise but, more like shock. Moreover, most of the buildings in this article offer no hint of their purpose and seem to be plopped down at the site with no thought whatsoever given to appropriateness for the surrounding geology. This kind of "Futurism" seems more like a gimmick than a valid philosophy. Will these designs stand the test of time, like Wright's did, or will they look outlandish and dated in a few decades? In my opinion, it's the latter.