The world’s best buildings created from 1950 to the present, dissected and analysed through specially commissioned freehand drawings.



This ambitious publication, now revised and expanded, dissects fifty-five modern masterpieces through specially commissioned freehand drawings that reveal the principles and details of what makes a building meaningful and enduring. Covering six continents, and ranging from residences to opera houses, influential buildings of the past seven decades are analysed through detailed consideration of their key characteristics – site and surroundings, space and massing, programme and circulation, fenestration and use of natural light – to give an insight into how each design works as a cohesive whole. Appealing to architects, students and everyone who appreciates great buildings, The Elements of Modern Architecture is an essential reference and inspiration for generations to come.