Some Influential Mid-Century Modern Architects

We've written about the hallmarks of mid-century modern home design before, but now we'd like to round up some of the most important mid-century modern architects. Because it's difficult to briefly summarize the design philosophies and contributions of these masters, we've included links to other sources where you can really delve into the work of these influential people. For anyone who's interested in MCM style and design, all of these mid-century modern architects are worth getting acquainted with. Of course, their work wasn't limited to single-family homes; they also designed apartment buildings, office buildings, civic buildings, retail centers, museums, places of worship, and more. And yes, we know that, in the interest of brevity, we've omitted plenty of deserving names. This is just an introduction to some of the most important mid-century modern architects—not to all of them. In fact, we plan on writing another post or two on the same topic to cover more people.

Important Mid-Century Modern Architects

• Frank Lloyd Wright – The most famous architect in history and in the world of course needs no introduction.

• Charles and Ray Eames – This married pair—who also made our list of influential mid-century modern furniture designers—are some of the best-known MCM designers across a range of disciplines, and they were instrumental in the development of the style.

• Pierre Koenig – He's one of the most famous California modernists and one of the most influential modernist architects overall, and he designed one of the most-photographed homes in the world, the Stahl House.

• Mies van der Rohe – Known for his use of open space and his affinity for revealing the industrial materials used in construction, two of his most iconic works are the Farnsworth House and Seagram Tower.

• Le Corbusier – This is the byname of Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, a Swiss architect and city planner who was a pivotal figure in the development and promotion of the International Style of architecture.

• Richard Neutra – He made history when, in 1929, he designed the first steel house in America, the Lovell House, and was instrumental in bringing the International Style of architecture to the US.

• Greta Magnusson Grossman – Few female mid-century modern architects get their due. She was not only key to the Southern California modernist movement, she was also the only female architect to own her own firm in Los Angeles from the 1940s into the 1960s.