The 9 Most Influential Buildings of the Decade

ByMyProperty Life

Martha Thorne, executive director of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, selects the most groundbreaking structures of the last decade.

Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forest, houses 800 trees in addition to its human residents. Pronounced balconies make space for large tubs in which the vegetation is planted, and the staggered nature of the balconies allows unhindered growth. The firm undertook a three-year planning process with a team of botanists and ethologists to choose the plant species.

Martha Thorne is the dean of the architecture school at IE University in Madrid and has served as the executive director of the Pritzker Architecture Prize—dubbed “the Nobel Prize for Architecture”—since 2005. From a vertical forest rising in a busy metropolis, to a power plant city dwellers can ski down, here are her top picks for the game-changers of the last decade. 

Neues Museum by David Chipperfield Architects (2009) 

Location: Berlin, Germany 

The Neues Museum in Berlin was resurrected over an eleven-year period. The architects’ approach was to contrast contemporary repairs with restored original features, making for a dynamic mix of old and new.
Read another article:Design Trends for Creating a Vacation Vibe at Home

The Neues Museum in Berlin was resurrected over an 11-year period. The architects’ approach was to contrast contemporary repairs with restored original features, making for a dynamic mix of old and new.

Ute Zscharnt

The Neues Museum was originally built between 1841 and 1859, but was extensively damaged in bombings during World War II, leaving it ruined. It reopened in 2009 after being restored and rebuilt by David Chipperfield Architects in collaboration with Julian Harrap Architects. 

The staircase in November 1943, after the bombing. Following the war, the building was left exposed to the elements, which did further damage. The plaster figures seen here were not salvageable.
Read another article:Hot Trends: 20 Best Farmhouse Style Kitchens in White and Wood

The staircase in November 1943, after the bombing. Following the war, the building was left exposed to the elements, which did further damage. The plaster figures seen here were not salvageable.

Rosa Mai

“The restoration and repair of the existing is driven by the idea that the original structure should be emphasized in its spatial context and original materiality—the new reflects the lost without imitating it,” says the firm.

Read another article:Revamped Small Barcelona Apartment Combines Multiple Styles and Finishes

Jorg von Bruchhausen

See the full story on Dwell.com: The 9 Most Influential Buildings of the Decade
Related stories:

  • 25 Memorable Midcentury Modern Kitchen Renovations
  • 5 Prefab Home Companies to Know in Illinois
  • 8 Bodacious Homes With Curves for Days

Similar Posts

  • Fabulous Ski Slopes Surround this Woodsy Alpine Cabin on Vancouver Island

    It is that time of the year again when we starting thinking about much needed winter vacations and how we are going to enjoy the lovely snow-clad slopes in all their splendor. Even if you are not a skiing enthusiast, a getaway like the Alpine Cabin on the Vancouver Island is bound to steal your […]

    You’re reading Fabulous Ski Slopes Surround this Woodsy Alpine Cabin on Vancouver Island, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

  • Gallery Residence

    This project was a full renovation of a 1970’s ranch house. The original house was chopped into multiple small, disconnected spaces. In the nineties a large and awkwardly placed addition was built to capitalize on the lake view. FORWARD was tasked with trying to navigate the constraints of the existing condition along with negotiating the desires of the artist clients, one of whom wanted a contemporary minimal interior while the other, a collector, was more interested in the distinct rooms of the turn-of-the-century houses. The finished house is a series of discreet rooms that are continuously linked. The entry space acts as a gallery and has been widened to create a clear relationship to the addition. What had been the original house has now been divided into kitchen, a combined living/dining room, and an office/guest bedroom. In the bedroom wing, a new master was created out of two smaller existing bedrooms. The house acts as a container for the owner’s collections. It is contemporary, minimal and spatially open, but at the same time affords the distinction of traditional rooms.

  • Loft of the Collector: Modern Apartment in Brazil with an Iconic Art Collection

    There are a few homes where the walls end up stealing the spotlight and others where it is the majestic view outside that makes the biggest impact. Then there are apartments and urban residences where space-savvy design and detail leave you inspired. But it is not everyday that you come across a home that is […]

    You’re reading Loft of the Collector: Modern Apartment in Brazil with an Iconic Art Collection, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.