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The world is full of rich and varied architectural designs that often capture our attention. Memorable buildings often follow certain architectural styles that are immediately identifiable. And many of these design elements are still being utilized by architects today. From the Romanesque to the neoclassical, some of these styles have traveled around the world, adapting themselves to different climates, landscapes, and cultural needs.
Click on to discover the most recognized architectural styles that have been applied in many popular structures around the globe.
Classical architecture refers to the style and design of buildings in ancient Greece and ancient Rome. Developed between the 7th and 4th centuries BCE, it's most popular for its humongous stone temples.
After Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium, today's Istanbul, Roman architecture evolved into a graceful, classically-inspired style. They used brick instead of stone, domed roofs, and elaborate mosaics.
As the Roman Empire spread across Europe, heavier, stocky Romanesque architecture with ogival curves and rib vaults started to appear. Churches and castles of the early medieval period were constructed with thick walls and heavy piers.
It was during the Enlightenment that the word "Gothic" bloomed, referring to the vertical and majestic architecture produced during that period. Most Gothic buildings are today considered UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Originating in the Middle East in the 7th century, Islamic architecture encompasses a wide geographic area, ranging from western Africa to Europe and eastern Asia. A mosque is the best example of the Islamic style, including features like courtyards, arches, and domes.
Persian architecture makes abundant use of symbolic geometry, using pure forms such as circles and squares. The pointed arches are known as muqaurnas, recognized for their floral decorations.
Influenced by classical architecture, the Renaissance style popped up in Italy during the 15th century. Known for its clearness and quality, the style is reflected in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
Originating in 16th-century Europe, this architectural style can be found both in religious buildings and palaces, such as Versailles. Baroque is characterized by complex shapes, extravagant ornaments, opulent paintings, and bold contrasts.
Developed in the 18th century, Rococo is characterized by elegant decorative designs with scrolls, vines, shell shapes, and geometric patterns. The Catherine Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, is a great example of this style.
Influenced by the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio, this style depended on the balance, perspective, and symmetry of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
From the 18th century, Neoclassical architecture looked to restore classical Greek and Roman structures. The style reflected the intellectual awakening among the middle and upper classes in Europe. And the newly-formed United States drew upon it to construct grand government buildings.
Beaux Arts architecture is characterized by symmetry, formal design, grandiosity, and elaborate ornamentation. It was a favored style for opulent mansions and grand public buildings, like the Palais Garnier, home of the Paris Opera.
This style of architecture refers to buildings that were constructed during the reign of Queen Victoria. Many homes in the UK, US, and Australia used this style.
Italianate architecture refers to a particular 19th-century style that was inspired by the Italian Renaissance. It featured architectural elements from a romanticized past that broke some of its strict classical rules. It was popular in Northern Europe, the British Empire, and the US.
Industrial architecture can be found all over the industrialized world, examples including factories, warehouses, distilleries, and power plants. The first industrial buildings were constructed in the 1700s during the First Industrial Revolution, which took place mainly in Great Britain.
Bauhaus was born at the world's first design school, by German architect Walter Gropius in 1919. The style focuses on simple, rational, and functional design.
In response to the mixed styles that ruled Europe, Art Nouveau showed itself in beautiful structures, loaded with bent and crooked lines. It was also inspired by organic shapes such as plants, flowers, and animals.
With their sleek forms and ziggurat designs, Art Deco architecture embraced both the machine age and ancient times. Zigzag patterns and vertical lines were popular elements, as seen here on the Chrysler Building in New York City.
Architectural Cubism centered on the dissolution and reconstitution of three-dimensional form, using simple geometric shapes. This style was particularly popular in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and present-day Czech Republic in the early 20th century.
De Stijl style was an art and design movement that evolved in the Netherlands in 1917. It was known for its use of solid geometric lines, and intense essential hues.
Originating in England during the Tudor period, the style had a revival during the 20th century. Tudor homes feature signature half-timber detailing and long, vertically placed decorative wood beams, which create the two-toned exterior.
This architectural style became prominent during the first half of the 20th century. Modernist architecture generally has little or no ornamentation and is prefabricated or has factory-made parts. Made with glass, metal, and concrete, the design emphasizes function.
As a reaction to the austerity and rigidity promoted by Modernist architecture, this style refused to be boxed in to just one type. Designs often drew inspiration from a mix of architectural styles.
Booming in the '40s and '50s, Cape Cod architecture is named after the Massachusetts coastal region where it's the signature style. It has simple and timeless clean-lined silhouettes, with oak and pine elements.
Known for their rustic appearance, Spanish Colonial homes are extremely popular throughout the US. The style had previously had a long, varied history in both Spain, Mexico, and several Central American countries.
Popular between the '50s and '70s, brutalist architecture is characterized by simple, block-like, and hulking concrete structures. The term is a play on the French phrase for raw concrete, béton brut.
Originating in the '80s, this style questions the rules and processes of design, and incorporates nonlinear dynamics. Dancing House in Prague is a great example of the style.
Contemporary architecture comprises a range of present-day building styles that often look radically different from one another. Contemporary architects often use rounded forms, curved lines, unconventional volumes, and open floor plans. Sustainability is an important feature of this style.
Parametricism is a style within contemporary avant-garde architecture. Known for its geometric designs, it relies on programs, algorithms, and computers to manipulate equations for design purposes.
See also: Architecture and religion: the most beautiful churches in the world
Distinctive architectural styles throughout history
Explore architectural styles from ancient times to the modern era
LIFESTYLE Buildings
The world is full of rich and varied architectural designs that often capture our attention. Memorable buildings often follow certain architectural styles that are immediately identifiable. And many of these design elements are still being utilized by architects today. From the Romanesque to the neoclassical, some of these styles have traveled around the world, adapting themselves to different climates, landscapes, and cultural needs.
Click on to discover the most recognized architectural styles that have been applied in many popular structures around the globe.