15+ Different Types of Architectures and Ideas to Inspire You  

Ever looked at a building and wondered if it’s a modern or byzantine style? Romanesque or Neoclassical? Yes, not many people know about the various types of architecture design. There are many architectural styles, such as Greek, Art Nouveau, and many more. 

Throughout history, architecture is one of the most common forms to know about the living and culture of a specific region on this planet. They are the windows, from where we can look into art and culture of any given time period. People have developed many unique different types of architecture. You can identify the specific architectural style by looking at the standard things and the construction style. 

So whether you’re an architecture student or just a curious person who wants to know about the various types of architecture; this blog will surely gonna help you out. Today we’re going to explain nine different styles of architecture, starting from ancient times to the upcoming futuristic ones. So, let’s start with the first type:

1. Ancient Egyptian Architecture

• Timeline: 3,050 BC to 900 BC
• Signature Building: Pyramid complex of Giza

No doubt that Egypt has one of the powerful civilizations in history, and the proof lies in front of us. Not only the world-famous pyramids of Giza, but many buildings show the extensive work of the ancient Egyptian people. 

People who have visited this gorgeous place, definitely know that there are places like temples, public halls, and many more which focus on aesthetic beauty and function.

2. Greek and Roman Architecture

• Timeline: 850 BC to 476 AD
• Signature building: Parthenon

After ancient Egyptian architecture, another incredible style of architecture is the greek and roman ones. There is always a set of columns, doric, and corinthian in Roman and Greek buildings.   These civilizations were also masters of engineering, that’s why these structures were constructed with precision. 

3. Byzantine Architecture

• Timeline: 527 to 1453
• Signature building: Hagia Sophia

Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the eastern Roman Empire. This style of the new architecture was started around 527, while the Byzantine era was started in 330 AD. This style also includes exotic domes and rich mosaics, and later this traveled west to Ravenna and Venice. Buildings and churches had high riding domes, and bricks & mortar were used to create geometric patterns and decorations. 

Though Byzantium has a long history and most of these iconic structures were built in the middle period because that was the wealthiest time of the empire.  The most remarkable hallmark of this style is the Hagia Sophia. This architecture not only shows the great engineering prowess of Byzantines but also the decorative side of a building that was never seen before. 

4. Gothic Architecture

• Timeline: 1150 to c. 1530
• Signature building: Notre Dame

It all started at the beginning of the 12th century. Gothic architecture was initially known as the Opus Francigenum, or “French work.” Some say that it originated between the years 900 and 1300. This style has more decorative plans and techniques than other architectural styles. Gothic works mainly related to ecclesiastical buildings like cathedrals and churches with ogival arches & rib vaults. 

Gothic style is all about increasing the height and reducing the overall weight. To achieve that, walls were built thin, and columns were more slender. You’ll also see the stained glass on the windows, which are really eye-catching. Do you know that most of the gothic buildings are UNESCO World Heritage sites?

And one of the most attractive buildings is Notre-Dame. It is situated in Paris, and also it is the first French Gothic Architecture. Similarly, in Italy, there is the main cathedral in Milan, which is a great example of how beautifully two cultures can blend together.  

5. Neoclassical Architecture

• Timeline: 1730 to 1925
• Signature building: White House

The Neoclassical movement started in the mid-1700s when archaeologists’ work brought a fresh passion for the ancient world. Mainly from the 18th century, Neoclassical architecture began to revive Classical Greek and Roman buildings. If we talk about the key features of this amazing revolutionary architecture style, then it will be the porticos, columns, wide steps, and domes. There was also a strong preference for marble or stone for the visible facade as building materials.

Neoclassicism is mostly used as an institutional style in the United States, and you’ll see many monuments, museums, and functioning government buildings of Washington, D.C., are in this amazing style. 

6. Art Nouveau Architecture

• Timeline: 1890 to 1914
• Signature building: Hôtel Tassel

Basically, Art Nouveau is used as a guide to several disciplines like architecture, painting, and art. It is not wrong to say that it was an international movement in direct opposition to Neoclassicism’s formalism. This style includes buildings with curved and sinuous lines, and also there is the use of organic shapes like flowers, plants, and animals. 

This style has various names in different countries such as Secession Art in Vienna,  Liberty Style in Italy, and Jugendstil in Germany. The very first buildings were constructed by Belgian architect Victor Horta.

7. Modern Architecture

• Timeline: 1900 to 1960s
• Signature building: Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier

The modern architecture style is all about the present time. It was started in the 20th century, and now it becomes the base for many other styles. The use of glass, reinforced concrete, and steel have now become primary building materials while constructing any modern structure. Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer, and Frank Lloyd Wright are some of the prominent architects of modern architectural style. 

8. Brutalist Architecture

• Timeline: 1950s to 1960s
• Signature building: The Breuer Building

The word “ Brutalist” has come from “Béton brut,” which means raw concrete. British architects Alison and Peter Smithson were the first who used this term. Later in the 1940s, this was associated entirely with architect Le Corbusier, who is the designer of the Cite Radieuse in Marseilles. 

This style is recognized by straight lines, small windows, unusual shapes, and of course by the raw concrete. These unique shaped buildings were commonly constructed to use as offices, shopping malls, parks, and universities. You will find this style mostly in Europe, but it later spread across many countries such as Japan, Australia, Brazil, and the United States. Marcel Breuer is a Hungarian based modernist architect, who is the reason for the construction of the most iconic Brutalist buildings. The best example of his work is the Breuer Building in New York City. 

9. Neofuturist Architecture

• Timeline: 2007 to present
• Signature building: The Shard

And on our list, the last type is the most recent style of architecture, which is the Neo-Futurist Architecture. Started from the late 20th century, it is the most common type of architecture style that architects are going for. They use eco-sustainable materials and high-tech integrations to create Neofuturism structures. 

This was all started by a designer Vito Di Bari in 2007. He said, “cross-pollination of art, cutting edge technologies and ethical values combined to create a pervasively higher quality of life.” We all know the world-famous architect Zaha Hadid. She also helped to move Neofuturism to a whole other level with her work. Other architects Renzo Piano, who is the architect and designer of London’s The Shard, have proved that nothing is impossible to achieve in architecture. 

10. Classical Architecture

11. Industrial Architecture

12. Bauhaus Architecture

13. Victorian Architecture

14. Arts and Crafts Architecture

15. Cape Cod Architecture

16. Tudor Architecture

So these are the nine types of architectural style, but still, there are many more. Now, you can easily recognize any style of architecture just by looking at its key features.

For More Information:

• Byzantine Architecture: History, Characteristics and Examples
• Neoclassical Architecture: History, Types & Examples
• Greek Revival Architecture – America’s First Architectural Style!