When talking of cutting edge, what readily comes to mind is “risk taking”, “boundary pushing” and “innovative”. Cutting edge can also mean “leading position in a field”. In this piece we are going to see the 5 most cutting-edge architects of the 21st century.
Frank Gehry
It is virtually impossible to mistake any of Gehry’s works as they are often the most distinctive and innovative architectural works around. He has deconstructive works that are legendary and it is no surprise that loads of tourists from around the world flock to his buildings to marvel at some of the wonders he creates.
Some of the most impressive projects from Gehry include the Marqués de Riscal Vineyard Hotel in Elciego, Der Neue Zollhof in Düsseldorf, The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and of course the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Gehry is now working on the new Facebook headquarters.
Frank Lloyd Wright
To some, Frank Lloyd Wright is the greatest architect ever. This is due to the way he treated interior and exterior spaces as one and the same and was ahead of the norm in building forms and method of construction. Perhaps most amazingly, he never attended a formal architecture school.
Some of the most impressive projects of Frank Lloyd Wright are: Arizona State University Gammage Auditorium & Taliesin West, Scottsdale, Arizona, Fallingwater Residence in Mill Run, Pennsylvania and the The Guggenheim Museum in New York City, New York.
Leoh Ming Pei
This is a Chinese born architect that came to study architecture in the U.S as a teenager but went on to become one of the greatest architects of modern day architecture. His work is most notable for the unique deployment of geometric forms and the incorporation of Chinese influences. The works can be seen around the globe.
Some of his most impressive projects include The Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., Le Grand Louvre (The Pyramid) in Paris and the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha.
Zaha Hadid
She was the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture prize. Known as the Nobel Peace Prize of the architecture world, it was very fitting for Hadid, whose work is characterised by its daring, artistic, unconventional and futuristic nature to win it at that time.
Some of her most impressive work include the the Opera House in Guangzhou, the National Museum of the 21st Century Arts the Bridge Pavilion in Zaragoza, Phaeno Science Center and the Bergisel Ski Jump in Innsbruck. Hadid was also responsible for the Aquatics Centre, an iconic building that played a pivotal role in the hugely successful London 2012 Summer Olympics and which is now, according to this report on Randstad, being regenerated into a new residential area for London.
Philip Johnson
Johnson’s works are very easily identifiable but he is known for being the founder of the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He is renowned for his amazing use of glass, steel and crystal. The Crystal Cathedral is a perfect example of his forward-thinking in architectural designs.
Apart from the cathedral, some of his other intriguing works include the Seagram Building in New York City and the Philip-Johnson-House in Berlin, Germany.
These are some of the architects that gave us some of the truly exquisite designs that will continue to leave people around the world in awe for years to come. 
