Architects

More From Architects
Vote for Your Favourite Architects

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

 1 
Michelangelo
(Regarded as the Most Accomplished Artist of His Era (High Renaissance))
Michelangelo
6
Birthdate: March 6, 1475
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Caprese Michelangelo, Italy
Died: February 18, 1564

Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet Michelangelo was a prominent figure of the High Renaissance. He is credited to have influenced the Western art in unprecedented ways. He is widely regarded as the greatest artist of his age and one of the greatest artists of all time. He was equally revered and respected as an architect.

 2 
Frank Lloyd Wright
9
Birthdate: June 8, 1867
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Richland Center, Wisconsin, United States
Died: April 9, 1959

Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect who designed over 1,000 structures in a career spanning 70 years. A pioneer of organic architecture, Wright influenced three generations of architects by playing a critical role in the 20th century's architectural movements. His structure Fallingwater is called America's best architectural work and Wright is considered the greatest architect America has ever produced.

 3 
Zaha Hadid
(Architect)
Zaha Hadid
11
Birthdate: October 31, 1950
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Baghdad
Died: March 31, 2016
Baghdad-born British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid is best remembered for her revolutionary and modern architectural designs, that involved abstraction and relied on curves. She won the Stirling Prize and was the first woman to receive the Pritzker Prize. She designed the Guangzhou Opera House and Rome's MAXXI Museum, among other marvels.
Recommended Lists:
 4 
Antoni Gaudí
(Architect)
Antoni Gaudí
8
Birthdate: June 25, 1852
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Reus
Died: June 10, 1926
Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí is remembered as a prominent figure of Catalan Modernism. Most of his works, including the incomplete church of the Sagrada Família, are in Barcelona. His innovative methods included the use of trencadís. By 2005, seven of his creations had been named UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
 5 
Le Corbusier
(Architect)
Le Corbusier
6
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: October 6, 1887
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Died: August 27, 1965

Le Corbusier was a Swiss-French designer, painter, architect, writer, and urban planner. He was one of the pioneers of modern architecture. During his illustrious career, which spanned 50 years, Le Corbusier designed buildings in India, Japan, Europe, and North and South America. He is also credited with revolutionizing urban planning.  

 6 
Buckminster Fuller
7
Listed In: Inventors
Birthdate: July 12, 1895
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Milton, Massachusetts, United States
Died: July 1, 1983

Buckminster Fuller was an American systems theorist, architect, designer, inventor, author, and futurist. He is credited with popularizing the geodesic dome, which resembles carbon molecules known as fullerenes. Fullerenes were named after Fuller for their resemblance to geodesic spheres. Fuller's work has influenced several personalities from different walks of life. His work has also inspired a couple of documentary films.

 7 
I. M. Pei
(Architect)
I. M. Pei
8
Birthdate: April 26, 1917
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Guangzhou, China
Died: May 16, 2019

I. M. Pei was a Chinese-American architect who drew inspiration from the garden villas at Suzhou when he was young. He is credited with founding I. M. Pei & Associates, an independent design firm, in 1955. Today, the award-winning firm is known by the name, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. Pei is known for designing structures like the Mesa Laboratory.

 8 
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
7
Birthdate: March 27, 1886
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Aachen, Germany
Died: August 17, 1969

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German-American architect. He is widely considered one of the many pioneers of modernist architecture. After emigrating to the United States, Mies worked on structures like the Promontory Apartments. He is best remembered for serving as the director of a popular German art school named the Bauhaus before its closure in 1933.

 9 
Vitruvius
(Roman Architect)
Vitruvius
4
Birthdate: 0080 BC
Birthplace: Italy, Roman Empire
Died: 0015 BC

Roman architect Vitruvius, believed to have served as a military engineer for Caesar’s army, is best remembered for his iconic work On Architecture, which consists of 10 parts, each detailing topics such as construction of temples, public buildings, and others. His book remains a vital treatise on ancient classical architecture.

 10 
Eero Saarinen
(Architect)
Eero Saarinen
5
Birthdate: August 20, 1910
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kirkkonummi, Finland
Died: September 1, 1961

Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American industrial designer and architect best remembered for his impressive designs for monuments and buildings. He is credited with designing important structures, such as the Washington Dulles International Airport, the TWA Flight Center, and the Gateway Arch. He is widely regarded as one of the 20th-century's most prominent American architectures.

 11 
Filippo Brunelleschi
(One of the Pioneers of Early Renaissance Architecture in Italy)
Filippo Brunelleschi
4
Listed In: Designers, Sculptors
Birthdate: 1377 AD
Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Died: April 15, 1446

Filippo Brunelleschi was an Italian architect, sculptor, and designer. Regarded as Renaissance architecture's founding father, Brunelleschi is hailed as the first modern engineer. Among his famous accomplishments is the design of the dome of the Florence Cathedral. He is also credited with inventing hydraulic machinery and designing machinery that was used in churches to re-enact Biblical stories through theatrical performances.

 12 
Sir Christopher Wren
6
Listed In: Astronomers
Birthdate: October 20, 1632
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: East Knoyle
Died: February 25, 1723

Architect Sir Christopher Wren had built over 50 churches in London, the most popular of them being the St. Paul’s Cathedral. He was a major force behind the formation of the Royal Society and was also knighted for his achievements. He was also a member of the English Parliament.

 13 
Norman Foster
(Architect)
Norman Foster
4
Birthdate: June 1, 1935
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Stockport, Cheshire, England

Norman Foster is an English designer and architect best known for his association with the progression of high-tech architecture. Regarded as an important personality in British modernist architecture, Foster has been granted several prestigious honors like The Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award. He also serves as the president of the Norman Foster Foundation which aims at helping young architects.

 14 
Walter Gropius
(Architect)
Walter Gropius
6
Birthdate: May 18, 1883
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: July 5, 1969

Walter Gropius was a German architect. Along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Alvar Aalto, and Frank Lloyd Wright, he is regarded as a pioneer in modernist architecture. Gropius founded the Bauhaus School. The large-scale housing projects he designed in Berlin, Karlsruhe, and Dessau in the late 1920s and early 1930s became major contributions to the New Objectivity movement.  

 15 
Louis Kahn
(Architect)
Louis Kahn
4
Birthdate: February 20, 1901
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kuressaare, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire
Died: March 17, 1974

Louis Kahn was an American architect who is credited with creating a style that was monolithic and monumental. Regarded as one of the 20th century's most influential architects, Kahn served as a professor at Yale School of Architecture and at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Design. His life and career inspired a documentary titled My Architect: A Son's Journey.

 16 
Philip Johnson
(Architect)
Philip Johnson
4
Birthdate: July 8, 1906
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Cleveland
Died: January 25, 2005

Philip Johnson was an American architect who organized the Modern architecture's first exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1932. A highly influential and respected architect, Johnson was honored with the prestigious AIA Gold Medal in 1978. The following year, he was honored with the first Pritzker Architecture Prize.

 17 
Renzo Piano
(Architect, Politician)
Renzo Piano
4
Birthdate: September 14, 1937
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Genoa

Pritzker Prize-winning Italian architect Renzo Piano was born into a family of builders from Genoa. His firm Piano and Rogers, was co-established with British architect Richard Rogers. The Renzo Piano Building Workshop worked on a number of museum commissions, most notably those of Menil Collection.

 18 
Oscar Niemeyer
(Architect)
Oscar Niemeyer
5
Birthdate: December 15, 1907
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Died: December 5, 2012
Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer is remembered as a pioneer of modern architecture. He is known for designing major buildings such as the President’s Palace and the Brasília Palace Hotel in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. He publicly spoke about his love for free-flowing designs and his dislike for straight lines.
 19 
Alvar Aalto
(Architect)
Alvar Aalto
6
Listed In: Sculptors
Birthdate: February 3, 1898
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kuortane
Died: May 11, 1976

Finnish architect Alvar Aalto initially had his studies interrupted by the Finnish Civil War, which saw him fighting for the White Army. His first architectural design was for his parents’ house. He had experimented with furniture and glassware, too. His works showcase a move from classicism to functionalism.

 20 
Bjarke Ingels
(Architect)
Bjarke Ingels
4
Birthdate: October 2, 1974
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
 21 
Louis Sullivan
(Pioneering Architect)
Louis Sullivan
5
Birthdate: September 3, 1856
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Boston
Died: April 14, 1924

Louis Sullivan was an architect who became only the second person to be honored with a posthumous AIA Gold Medal. Dubbed the father of modernism and the father of skyscrapers, Sullivan contributed immensely to the Chicago School of architecture. He is also credited with mentoring Frank Lloyd Wright who went on to become a respected architect in his own right.

 22 
Tadao Ando
(Architect)
Tadao Ando
4
Birthdate: September 13, 1941
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Minato Ward, Osaka, Japan
 23 
Jørn Utzon
(architect)
Jørn Utzon
4
Birthdate: April 9, 1918
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Copenhagen
Died: November 29, 2008
 24 
Santiago Calatrava
(Spanish Architect, Structural Engineer and Sculptor)
Santiago Calatrava
4
Birthdate: July 28, 1951
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Valencia, Spain

Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect and a structural engineer, internationally known for his sculptural bridges and buildings. Beginning his career in Zurich, building industrial and transportation structures, he soon became famed for his extraordinary designs and began to receive commissions from abroad, designing and building marvelous bridges, stadiums, museums, railway stations, airports, office buildings all over the world.

 25 
Daniel Burnham
(Architect, Urban Designer)
Daniel Burnham
6
Birthdate: September 4, 1846
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Henderson
Died: June 1, 1912

American architect Daniel Burnham was one of the pioneering designers of the skyscrapers that populate cities such as Chicago. Part of the Beaux-Arts movement, he had been the director of the World’s Columbian Exposition. He also formed his own firm, Burnham & Root with John Wellborn Root.

 26 
Marcel Breuer
(Architect & Furniture Designer)
Marcel Breuer
4
Birthdate: May 21, 1902
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Pécs, Austria-Hungary
Died: July 1, 1981
Hungarian architect and furniture designer Marcel Breuer was a major figure of the International Style of design. His innovative designs made use of new technology and materials, such as steel furniture resembling the designs of bicycle handle bars, also known as the Wassily chair. He inspired the documentary Breuer's Bohemia.
 27 
Raphael
(Italian Painter and Architect of the High Renaissance)
Raphael
4
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: April 6, 1483
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Urbino, Italy
Died: April 6, 1520

Italian painter and architect Raphael, along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, formed the great trio who ushered in the High Renaissance. He is mostly known for his frescoes of the Vatican Palace and The School of Athens. He also designed the Chigi Chapel, among other structures in Rome.

 28 
Sebastián Marroquín
(Son of Pablo Escobar)
Sebastián Marroquín
4
Listed In: Family Members
Birthdate: February 24, 1977
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Medellín, Colombia
Sebastián Marroquín is the son of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. He and his family fled to Mozambique after Pablo’s death, and then to Argentina, where he dropped “Escobar” from his name. He owns an organic clothing line and has written a book and contributed to a documentary about Pablo.
 29 
Andrea Palladio
(Architect)
Andrea Palladio
4
Birthdate: November 30, 1508
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Padua, Italy
Died: August 19, 1580

Andrea Palladio was an Italian architect remembered for designing villas, country houses, palaces, and churches. Widely regarded as one of the most influential architects in the history of architecture, Palladio designed 23 buildings in Vicenza and 24 villas in Veneto. Together, they are known as the City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto as named by UNESCO.

 30 
Robert Hooke
(Philosopher)
Robert Hooke
4
Birthdate: July 28, 1635
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Freshwater, Isle of Wight
Died: March 3, 1703

Scientist Robert Hooke, also called England's Leonardo, initially gained recognition as an architect, conducting surveys following the Great Fire of London. He also taught geometry and was part of the Royal Society. He assisted Robert Boyle and eventually developed his own microscope, thus becoming the first to visualize micro-organisms.

 31 
Moshe Safdie
(Architect, urban designer, educator, theorist, and author who designed Habitat 67, a model housing complex and landmark in Montreal)
Moshe Safdie
4
Birthdate: July 14, 1938
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Haifa, Israel

Moshe Safdie is an architect, educator, urban planner, author, and theorist. He is best known for designing Jewel Changi Airport, Marina Bay Sands, and Habitat 67. Widely regarded as a thought leader, Safdie's work has inspired generations of architects all around the world. 

 32 
El Greco
(Greek Painter, Sculptor and Architect of the Spanish Renaissance)
El Greco
6
Birthdate: October 1, 1541
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Heraklion, Greece
Died: April 7, 1614
Artist Doménikos Theotokópoulos never let anyone forget his Greek heritage and almost always signed his art in Greek letters. Popularly known as El Greco, he was a significant figure of the Spanish Renaissance. His best-known works remain The Burial of the Count of Orgaz and The Assumption of the Virgin.
 33 
Frederick Law Olmsted
(Landscape Architect)
Frederick Law Olmsted
5
Birthdate: April 26, 1822
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hartford
Died: August 28, 1903

Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, landscape architect, public administrator, and social critic. Dubbed the father of American landscape architecture, Frederick was responsible for co-designing several well-known urban parks including Walnut Hill Park, Prospect Park, Cadwalader Park, and Central Park. He is also remembered for his work on the landscape encircling the US Capitol building.

 34 
Robert Venturi
(American Architect)
Robert Venturi
3
Birthdate: June 25, 1925
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: September 18, 2018

Robert Venturi was an American architect who founded the successful architectural firm, Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates. One of the 20th century's leading architectural figures, Venturi helped shape the way that students, planners, and architects think about architecture. Renowned for designing buildings like the Vanna Venturi House, Robert Venturi was honored with the prestigious National Medal of Arts in 1992.

 35 
Richard Rogers
(British-Italian Architect Known for His Modernist and Constructivist Designs)
Richard Rogers
4
Listed In: Designers
Birthdate: July 23, 1933
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Died: December 18, 2021

Richard Rogers is an Italian-British architect best known for his functionalist and modernist designs in high-tech architecture. Rogers is recognized for his work on popular buildings like Lloyd's building in London, the Pompidou Centre in Paris, and the building of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Thomas Jefferson Medal. 

 36 
Richard Meier
(Architect & Abstract Artist)
Richard Meier
3
Birthdate: October 12, 1934
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, U.S.

Richard Meier is an American architect and abstract artist who is credited with designing many iconic buildings, such as the San Jose City Hall, the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Getty Center, Los Angeles. Over the years Richard Meier has won several prestigious awards like the Pritzker Prize and the American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award.

 37 
Frank Gehry
(Architect and Designer Whose Works are Considered Among the Most Important of Contemporary Architecture)
Frank Gehry
2
Listed In: Designers
Birthdate: February 28, 1929
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
Canadian-born American architect and designer Frank Gehry is best known for designing the Guggenheim Museum in Spain, the Louis Vuitton Foundation in France, and the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, U.S. He has won countless awards, such as the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the Praemium Imperiale.
 38 
Fazlur Rahman Khan
(Structural Engineer and Architect Known for His Innovations in High-Rise Building Construction)
Fazlur Rahman Khan
4
Birthdate: April 3, 1929
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Died: March 27, 1982

Fazlur Rahman Khan was a Bangladeshi-American architect and structural engineer. Regarded as the father of tubular designs, Khan is credited with designing several skyscrapers, including the Willis Tower and the John Hancock Center. Thanks to his ingenious use of structural systems, Khan is often referred to as the 20th century's greatest structural engineer and the Einstein of structural engineering.

 39 
Jean Nouvel
(Architect)
Jean Nouvel
3
Birthdate: August 12, 1945
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Fumel, France

Jean Nouvel is a French architect who was a founding member of Syndicat de l'Architecture, a labor union for architects. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and entered into a partnership with François Seigneur. He built a brilliant career and is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honor. 

 40 
Neri Oxman
(Architect)
Neri Oxman
7
Birthdate: February 6, 1976
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Haifa

Neri Oxman is an American-Israeli designer best known for combining design, computing, biology, and materials engineering into art and architecture. She also serves as a professor at the MIT Media Lab, leading the Mediated Matter research group. Praised as one of the modern-time greats, Oxman was included in ICON's 20 Most Influential Architects to Shape Our Future list in 2009.

 41 
Thomas Andrews
(Businessperson, Naval Architect)
Thomas Andrews
5
Birthdate: February 7, 1873
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Comber, County Down, Ireland
Died: April 15, 1912
 42 
Sinan
(Architect)
Sinan
4
Birthdate: 1488 AD
Birthplace: Ağırnas, Turkey
Died: July 17, 1588
 43 
Adolf Loos
(Architect)
Adolf Loos
6
Birthdate: December 10, 1870
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brno
Died: August 23, 1933

Austrian architect Adolf Loos is often compared to American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in terms of his contribution. Loos believed architecture shouldn’t contain the extra elements and ornaments promoted by Art Nouveau. Mostly known for his residential projects, he built modern buildings such as the Goldman and Salatsch Building.

 44 
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
(One of the Greatest Sculptors of the 17th Century)
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
4
Listed In: Sculptors
Birthdate: December 7, 1598
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Naples, Italy
Died: November 28, 1680
Son of sculptor Pietro Bernini, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, introduced the Baroque style of sculpture to the world. Known for his masterpieces such as Apollo and Daphne and David, he excelled in depicting the fine details of skin and hair in his marble creations. His commissioned creations include St. Peter's baldachin.
 45 
Maya Lin
(Designer)
Maya Lin
7
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: October 5, 1959
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Athens

Maya Lin is an American sculptor and designer whose competition-winning design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial earned her national recognition when she was still an undergraduate. Her life and career inspired an Oscar-winning documentary titled Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision. Maya Lin has won prestigious awards, such as the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

 46 
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
6
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: June 7, 1868
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Townhead, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Died: December 10, 1928

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, and artist. He was married to fellow artist Margaret Macdonald, and they both were influential on the European design movements Art Nouveau and Secessionism. Mackintosh is considered one of the most important figures of Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style). In his later years, he worked largely as a watercolorist. 

 47 
Friedensreich Hundertwasser
(Austrian Visual Artist and Architect)
Friedensreich Hundertwasser
5
Listed In: Sculptors, Artists
Birthdate: December 15, 1928
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Vienna
Died: February 19, 2000

Austrian visual artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser is remembered for his imagination, his love for bold colors and uneven forms, and his dislike for “straight lines.” He and his Jewish mother escaped the Nazis by posing as Christians. His architectural projects are focused on environment-friendly buildings, such as the Hundertwasserhaus apartment block.

 48 
Isamu Noguchi
(American Landscape Architect and Artist Who Designed the Modern Piece of Furniture Known as the 'Noguchi Table')
Isamu Noguchi
4
Listed In: Sculptors, Artists
Birthdate: November 17, 1904
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: December 30, 1988

Isamu Noguchi was an American landscape architect and artist best remembered for designing the iconic Noguchi table. His sculptures are credited with bridging East and West and some of his works are considered landmarks of 20th-century art. In 1982, he won the Edward MacDowell Medal. In 1987, he received the National Medal of Arts for his contribution to the arts. 

 49 
Stanford White
(Architect, Painter)
Stanford White
6
Listed In: Artists
Birthdate: November 9, 1853
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York City
Died: June 25, 1906

Stanford White was an American architect who designed several important monuments including the Washington Square Arch. He also helped construct Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower, which happens to be his last design. Although White was an influential and prominent designer of his time, he is best remembered for his illicit relationship with Evelyn Nesbit which has inspired several works of art.

 50 
César Pelli
(Architect, Entrepreneur)
César Pelli
4
Birthdate: October 12, 1926
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: San Miguel de Tucumán
See Also