Ready for architectural exploration but spoiled for choice? The Modernist Travel Guide is here to help guide you out of the conundrum of what to visit and where. Even if you know your Le Corbusier from your Frank Lloyd Wright and Alvar Aalto, and your art deco architecture from your 21st-century brutalism, this new publication from Sight Unseen, written by regular Wallpaper* contributor Adam Štěch, is the perfect companion for avid travellers and fans of modernist architecture.
Modernist Travel Guide: around the globe in modernist interiors
A feast of buildings and colour, the pocket-sized reference book lists almost 400 examples of modernist architecture across 30 cities around the world. It is not only a handy guidebook for exploring the world, but also a striking archive of some 150,000 photographs, and more than 10,000 buildings and interiors. Layer on top some fresh book artwork in modernist primary colours, and you've got a vibrant publication to delve into and enjoy.
Maison Marit, Brussels
The book's origins are as organic as they come. Štěch explains: 'People are constantly asking me what to see in particular places. I’m happy to help, but sometimes I don’t have time to answer every request. This guide is perfect because it lets me share my knowledge with anyone who’s interested in architecture and design.'
Fish Building, New York
He continues: 'Also, I simply love architecture guides. I always buy a guide for any place I’m planning to visit – it gives you lots of information in a small package. But that’s also what sets my book apart, because it’s not focused on a single destination, but is rather a universal guide for 369 buildings across 30 major cities. It will really help readers navigate the huge and often intimidating world of modern architecture.'
Villa Kolb, Zurich
The Sight Unseen editors' long-term working relationship and friendship with Štěch helped birth this collaboration – stemming from a real need for him to share his tips and passion for modernism and all its regional expressions.
Wotruba Church, Vienna
The Modernist Travel Guide launches today (8 May 2025) at an event in New York, during the city's annual month of design and in fitting style inside Paul Rudolph’s famed 1990s Modulightor building.
Palazzo Della Civilita Italiana, Rome
'Modernist Travel Guide' by Adam Štěch, Sight Unseen (2025), shop.sightunseen.com
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