We love to love modernism. Its myriad typological iterations, regional interpretations and sub-genres – such as brutalism, midcentury modern and minimalism – eloquently tell a story of vision, innovation and exploration that fascinates to this day. The International Style has, after all, been at the core of the Wallpaper* DNA since its inception in 1996, as a brave new world in design and lifestyle publishing met the 20th century’s most influential architecture movement front and centre.
Pine Heath, a Hampstead townhouse in London
The legacy of modernism: back to the future
Nearly 30 years on, and with some of the movement’s older buildings fast approaching their centenary (modernism’s point of birth is hard to pin down, but it roughly coincides with the first decades of the 20th century), we stand at a critical crossroads when it comes to the legacy of modernist architecture. Layering on the challenges brought by climate change to the natural course of a building’s life, it is clear that this large body of work increasingly needs our attention as gems from the era come under threat of demolition or neglect. Yet, beyond their historical significance, modernist works, now spanning the length and breadth of our planet, can still play an active, key role in the future of our built environment – not least because reuse can be a powerful tool in our efforts towards a sustainable future.
Strathmore Apartments by Richard Neutra in Los Angeles - the home of architecture writer Michael Webb
There is no one-size-fits-all approach on the road ahead. The way forward
in protecting our modernist legacy can be as rich and varied as the designs within the movement itself. Some of these structures remain beloved homes whose interiors developed organically as life progressed, such as writer Michael Webb’s unit in Los Angeles within the Richard Neutra-designed Strathmore Apartments, once the home of Charles and Ray Eames. With the smoke barely dispersed after the city’s devastating fires in January, discussing the future of many of these modernist treasures in California and beyond has become a pressing topic within the industry.
Finlandia Hall by Alavar Aalto in Helsinki
Other midcentury buildings lend themselves to becoming hubs for education and research – and the lesser-known ones have lots to offer, providing an important, intimate, everyday view of living the modernist dream. The home of sculptor Marta Pan and architect André Wogenscky, in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, just outside Paris, is such a case. Built in 1952, it became a foundation after its last owner’s death in 2014. Today, it welcomes visitors wishing to learn more about the creative couple’s life and work, thereby future-proofing their modernist home.
Space House in London
The answer to securing a building’s future does not necessarily lie in preserving it in aspic. Allowing adaptation can be equally key in ensuring structures thrive and provide an inspiring, fit-for-purpose envelope for contemporary life. North London townhouse Pine Heath exemplifies this through a smart redesign that revitalised a tired 1960s residence in an environmentally conscious way. The winner of a recent Wallpaper* Design Award, Alvar Aalto’s Finlandia Hall in Helsinki (see W*310), and schemes such as London’s Space House – the recent redesign of this listed Richard Seifert & Partners office building gained it a coveted (and the first for its kind) BREEAM Outstanding certification – showcase how sensitive restoration of such landmarks can yield some fascinating results. So here’s to the next century of modernist architecture.
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Design fairs are expensive. This new hybrid gallery wants to give creatives an alternativeHello Human House – a new gallery, events space, and office – wants to make it easier for artists and designers to share their work
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Artek and Marimekko bring bold printmaking to poetically simple furnitureAs Artek, Alvar Aalto’s storied furniture company, turns 90, it unites with Finnish printmaking powerhouse Marimekko to add a patterned spin to three of Aalto’s pioneering designs, made to last a lifetime
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It’s a mighty big read: the October 2025 issue of Wallpaper* is on sale nowMeet Craig Green and Irma Boom, travel to Tbilisi and Marseille, and delve into enduring design in the October issue, an epic celebration of the long read – on a newsstand near you
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The best of California desert architecture, from midcentury gems to mirrored dwellingsWhile architecture has long employed strategies to cool buildings in arid environments, California desert architecture developed its own distinct identity –giving rise, notably, to a wave of iconic midcentury designs
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A restored Eichler home is a peerless piece of West Coast midcentury modernismWe explore an Eichler home, and Californian developer Joseph Eichler’s legacy of design, as a fine example of his progressive house-building programme hits the market
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The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthWallpaper* has spotlighted an array of remarkable architecture in the past month – from a pink desert home to structures that appears to float above the ground. These are the houses and buildings that most captured our attention in August 2025
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La Maison de la Baie de l’Ours melds modernism into the shores of a Québécois lakeACDF Architecture’s grand family retreat in Quebec offers a series of flowing living spaces and private bedrooms beneath a monumental wooden roof
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This cinematic home in Palm Springs sets a new standard for Desert Modern designJill Lewis Architecture and landscape architecture firm Hoerr Schaudt joined forces to envision an exceptional sanctuary
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Hilborn House, one of Arthur Erickson’s few residential projects, is now on the marketThe home, first sketched on an envelope at Montreal Airport, feels like a museum of modernist shapes, natural materials and indoor-outdoor living
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Inside a Donald Wexler house so magical, its owner bought it twiceSo transfixed was Daniel Patrick Giles, founder of fragrance brand Perfumehead, he's even created a special scent devoted to it
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Maison Louis Carré, the only Alvar Aalto house in France, reopens after restorationDesigned by the modernist architect in the 1950s as the home of art dealer Louis Carré, the newly restored property is now open to visit again – take our tour
