“Futurist architecture” is a useful visual label, not a formal checklist: the buildings in this 2017 New Atlas gallery share striking, sculptural forms, but differ in purpose, context and construction. Here are selected examples—and what their designs show about contemporary architecture—without treating the gallery’s dated captions as current project updates.
What does “futurist architecture” mean here?
In Rich Haridy’s October 30, 2017 New Atlas gallery, “futurist-inspired” describes buildings whose silhouettes can seem to belong to a science-fiction setting. Haridy framed the trend as enabled by “the influx of new materials and engineering technology,” but that is the writer’s interpretation, not a technical definition or a settled architectural classification. The gallery does not rank its buildings or provide a consistent account of their engineering.
This broad visual usage should not be confused with early-20th-century Italian Futurism or later Neo-Futurist discourse. The examples below are best understood as a varied selection of contemporary architecture, not as proof that every building belongs to one movement.
Selected buildings from the gallery
The gallery ranges across cultural, entertainment, horticultural, civic and infrastructure projects in several countries. These examples show how very different programs can produce buildings that read as unconventional or forward-looking.
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| Building | Location | Gallery attribution or description | What the example illustrates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yinchuan Museum of Contemporary Art | Yinchuan, China | Attributed in the gallery to we architect anonymous | A cultural building presented through its sculptural exterior form. |
| Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center | Kazakhstan | Credited in the gallery to Foster + Partners | An entertainment project included among the gallery’s large-scale contemporary forms. |
| Heydar Aliyev Centre | Baku, Azerbaijan | Featured in the gallery; the practice record identifies the project as 2007–2012 | A cultural centre whose continuous, flowing form is central to its visual identity. |
| Gardens by the Bay | Singapore | Named in the gallery | A horticultural and public-space setting, broadening the selection beyond museums and entertainment venues. |
| Ordos Museum | Ordos, China | Attributed in the gallery to MAD Architects | A museum included for its distinctive massing and silhouette. |
| Harbin Opera House | Harbin, China | Attributed in the gallery to MAD Architects | A performing-arts building presented as another expressive cultural landmark. |
| Georgia–Turkey border checkpoint | Georgia–Turkey border | Attributed in the gallery to J.MAYER.H | An infrastructure project showing that the gallery’s visual theme is not limited to museums or towers. |
| Agora Garden Tower | Taipei, Taiwan | Attributed in the gallery to Vincent Callebaut | A tower included among the gallery’s residential and urban-scale forms. |
These attributions and descriptions reflect the 2017 gallery. For the Heydar Aliyev Centre, Zaha Hadid Architects’ project history gives the project dates as 2007–2012: Zaha Hadid Architects: Our Story.
How to compare the buildings beyond their silhouettes
A dramatic exterior is only one part of a building’s story. A useful comparison asks what the building does, how its form responds to its site and what can be verified about its construction.
- Form: Look at the overall massing, roofline, curves, folds or faceted surfaces. “Futuristic” is a subjective description, so treat it as a reaction to the visible design rather than a measurable property.
- Structure and engineering: A photograph alone cannot establish how a building is supported or which construction methods made its geometry possible. That requires project-specific documentation; the 2017 gallery does not offer a consistent technical comparison.
- Program: The examples serve different uses, from museums and performance venues to gardens, entertainment and border infrastructure. Their functions shape requirements for circulation, access and interior space, even when their exterior forms attract the most attention.
- Local context: Consider the setting and civic or cultural role alongside the building’s visual impact. The gallery offers examples from different countries, but it does not provide enough uniform context to compare each project’s relationship to its surroundings in depth.
- Status and access: Construction descriptions in a 2017 article are historical snapshots. They are not reliable statements of a project’s completion or visitor access in 2026.
What has changed since the gallery was published?
The New Atlas gallery appeared on October 30, 2017 and contains 56 images. Its image count describes that article, not the scale of the architecture field. Any captions describing a project as “currently being built” or “almost complete” refer to the period when the gallery was published.
For example, Zaha Hadid Architects’ live index separates projects by type and construction status, while its record for the Capital International Exhibition & Convention Centre in Beijing lists the project as complete and dates it 2021–2025. This is a separate, more recent example of the practice’s work; it is not one of the gallery projects: Capital International Exhibition & Convention Centre and Zaha Hadid Architects project index.
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Can you visit the featured buildings?
The gallery is an exterior-focused visual survey, not a visitor guide. It does not establish whether every featured building currently admits the public, offers tours or requires advance arrangements. Check with the building’s owner or operator before planning a visit; access can depend on the site’s use and current policies.
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