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Christopher Wren (1632–1723) -

Sir Christopher Wren was arguably the most highly acclaimed architect in the history of England. Early commissions included the Garden Quadrangle at Trinity College, Oxford, and the chapel of Emmanuel College, in Cambridge.

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St Paul's Cathedral, United Kingdom -

But it's for St Paul's Cathedral in London that Wren is most famous for. One of 52 churches he was tasked with rebuilding after the Great Fire in 1666, St Paul's is regarded as Wren's masterpiece and today is one of the most recognized buildings in the world.

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Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) -

Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí developed a style of architecture so unique it was described as Sui generis, which in Latin roughly translates as "in a class by itself." He was the greatest exponent of Catalan modernism, his works colorful, highly decorative, and spectacularly eccentric.

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Sagrada Família, Spain -

Antoni Gaudí's most notable buildings are in Barcelona, with his masterpiece, Sagrada Família, still incomplete but listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular visitor attractions in Spain.

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Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) -

American architect Frank Lloyd Wright played a key role in the advancement of architectural movements in the 20th century. His name is synonymous with organic architecture, a philosophy of architecture that promotes harmony between human habitation and the natural world. The best example of this is Fallingwater, a house he designed in 1935.

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Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, USA -

Wright is arguably more widely known for the astonishing Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Completed in 1959, the Guggenheim stands as a landmark of 20th-century architectural innovation.

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Le Corbusier (1887–1965) -

Swiss-French architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of modern architecture. He's also recognized as a pioneer of town planning.

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Chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Haut, France -

Le Corbusier built some of his most famous projects in France, works that include Esprit Nouveau Pavilion in Paris, built in 1925, and the chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Haut at Ronchamp (pictured), completed in 1955.

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Walter Gropius (1883–1969) -

German-American architect and founder of the Bauhaus School, Walter Gropius is up there with Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture. 

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Bauhaus Dessau, Germany -

Selected buildings designed by Gropius include the Pan Am Building (now the MetLife Building) in New York (codesigned with Pietro Belluschi), the John F. Kennedy Federal Office Building in Boston, and Harvard Graduate Center in Cambridge, also in Massachusetts. Pictured is the famous Bauhaus building in Dessau-Roßlau, Germany.

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Oscar Niemeyer (1907–2012) -

Oscar Niemeyer was lauded, and often criticized, for being a "sculptor of monuments." Nonetheless, the Brazilian is still hailed as one of the greatest architects of his generation.

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The Cathedral, Brazil -

Venerated around the world for his modern vision, Niemeyer is especially known for his design of buildings for Brasília, a planned city that became Brazil's capital in 1960. Further afield, Niemeyer collaborated with other architects on the headquarters of the United Nations in New York.

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Frank Gehry -

Canadian-born American architect and designer Frank Gehry is considered one of the most influential architects of the modern era. His sculptural, often audacious, buildings have become world-renowned visitor attractions.

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Louis Vuitton Foundation, France -

Gehry's accomplishments are many and include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Dancing House in Prague, and the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris (pictured).

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Zaha Hadid (1950–2016) -

Born in Baghdad, Iraqi-British architect Dame Zaha Hadid studied mathematics at the American University of Beirut before moving to London in 1972 to pursue a career in architecture.

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Guangzhou Opera House, China -

Celebrated for her pioneering use of geometry, which helped redefine architecture for the 21st century, Hadid's major works include Rome's MAXXI Museum and the Guangzhou Opera House in China (pictured).

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I. M. Pei (1917–2019) -

Born in Guangzhou, Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei cited Le Corbusier and Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius as early influences. In the United States, Pei considered the John F. Kennedy Library, completed in 1979, as "the most important commission" in his life. However, it's for a pyramid that the architect is universally recognized.

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Louvre Pyramid, France -

The Louvre Pyramid in Paris divided public opinion when it was unveiled in 1989. The chief criticism was the modernist style of the edifice being inconsistent with the classic French Renaissance style and history of the Louvre. Despite the aesthetic and political debate the building sparked, Pei's pyramid is now a cherished landmark of the city.

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Santiago Calatrava -

The Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava is also a highly regarded structural engineer, and bridges are his specialty, for example the Bac de Roda Bridge in Barcelona.

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World Trade Center Transportation Hub, USA -

Calatrava, however, is equally applauded for his railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculptural forms often resemble living organisms. In 2016, his World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York opened to universal acclaim. The head house structure, called the Oculus Building (pictured), is now an Instagram hit.

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Norman Foster -

English architect and designer Norman Foster is a key figure in British modernist architecture. His buildings are often representative of what he describes as the concept of green architecture.

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The Gherkin, United Kingdom -

Exemplifying this ideology is The Gherkin in London. Formally known as 30 St Mary Axe, The Gherkin, so named for its resemblance to a gherkin fruit, is one of London's most sustainable buildings, incorporating design, construction, and operational practices that significantly reduce or eliminate any negative impact on the environment.

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Richard Rogers (1933–2021) -

Born in Florence, British-Italian architect Richard Rogers studied at Yale School of Architecture in the early 1960s. There he met fellow student Norman Foster, and later worked with Italian architect Renzo Piano on the Pompidou Centre.

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Lloyd's building, United Kingdom -

The Pompidou Centre and the Lloyd's building in London (pictured) rank among Rogers' finest achievements. He was also responsible for designing the Millennium Dome entertainment venue (now known as The O2), also located in London.

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Renzo Piano -

Mentioned previously for his collaboration on the Pompidou Centre with Richard Rogers, Renzo Piano is one of Italy's most respected architects.

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The Shard, United Kingdom -

Renzo Piano's other high-profile projects include the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens. Perhaps his most visible work, however, is The Shard, a skyscraper in London named for the fact that its structure resembles shards of glass.

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Toyo Ito -

Toyo Ito is a groundbreaking Japanese architect described by his peers as "one of the world's most innovative and influential architects." He specializes in conceptual architecture, bringing to the table ideas from outside architecture as a means of expanding the discipline of the practice.

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National Taichung Theater, Taiwan -

Ito's body of work is mostly found in his native country, plus in Taiwan. Pictured is the National Taichung Theater in the Xitun District of Taichung, Taiwan. It officially opened in 2016.

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Rem Koolhaas -

As much an intellectual as an architect, Dutch national Rem Koolhass describes himself as an urbanist, with urbanism being the study of how town and city inhabitants interact with the built environment. Koolhaas has lectured extensively on this subject, with one of his early students being Zaha Hadid.

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De Rotterdam, Netherlands -

Among Koolhaas' projects are the  funky premises he provided for fashion house Prada and larger more elaborate commissions such as the massive CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, China, and De Rotterdam (pictured), a multipurpose office complex in Rotterdam.

Sources: (HowStuffWorks) (Famous Architects)

See also: Distinctive architectural styles throughout history

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