Contemporary architecture is the architecture of the 21st century. Neither style is dominant. [Citation needed] Contemporary architects work in several different styles, from postmodernism, high-tech architecture, new interpretations of traditional architecture to highly conceptual shapes and designs, similar to large-scale sculptures. Some of these styles and methods use very advanced technology and modern building materials. For example, tubular structures can be used to build taller, lighter, and stronger buildings than in the 20th century, while other styles and methods prioritize the use of natural materials. And ecology. Such as stone, wood and lime. One technique common to all forms of contemporary architecture is the use of new computer-aided design techniques, which allow buildings to be designed and modeled on three-dimensional computers and built with greater accuracy and speed.
Contemporary architecture and styles vary greatly. Some have concrete structures wrapped in glass or aluminum partitions, highly asymmetrical exterior walls, and cantilever parts overhanging the street. Skyscrapers are twisted or shattered like glass. The exterior wall is designed to glow or change color at different times of the day. Although the main monuments of modern architecture in the 20th century are mainly concentrated in the United States and Western Europe, contemporary architecture is global; important new buildings have been built in China, Russia, Latin America, especially the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf; Harry in Dubai Fata is the tallest building in the world in 2019, and China's Shanghai Tower is the second tallest.
At the same time, during this period a counterculture developed that dominated the modernist and postmodern architecture of the second half of the 20th century. In the 21st century, several organizations dedicated to promoting local and / or traditional architecture have emerged. Examples include the International Network for Traditional Architecture, Architecture and Urbanism (INTBAU), the Academy of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA), the Driehaus Prize for Architecture, and the Complementary Architecture Movement. Notable architects of the New Tradition Wave include Michael Graves, Leon Creel, Yasmin Larry, Robert Stern, and Abdul Wahd Elvakir. Most of the landmarks of contemporary architecture are the work of a small group of architects working internationally. Many were designed by famous architects in the late 20th century, including Mario Botta, Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel, Norman Foster, I.M. Pei and Renzo Piano, and others are works of a new generation born during or after World War II, including Zaha Hadid. , Santiago Calatrava, Daniel Libeskind, Jacques Herzog, Pierre Demey Long, Rem Koolhaas and Shigeru Ban. Other projects are the collective work of various architects, such as UN Studio and SANAA, or large multinational organizations such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, with 30 assisting architects and a large team of engineers and designers, and Gensler, in 16 years Country with 5,000 employees .