Modern architecture worth seeing

don't forget that crematorium in Berlin by Axel Schultes. No, I havent seen it in person, but my better half is an architect and insists it's one of the most beautiful/haunting places she has ever been.

I find Berlin's architecture scene really boring for a city of its stature, but check out Mies' Neue Nationalgalerie and Eisenmann's Memorial to Murdered Jews.

Instead of focusing on good modern architecture, you might also consider looking at some really bad modern architecture, in which case I recommend looking at the works of J. Mayer H., one of the world's shittiest practicing architects. He has assaulted Berlin's skyline with tastelessness for the past decade. http://www.jmayerh.de/home.htm

I think the best modern architecture experience in Berlin is to attend a concert at Scharoun's Berliner Philharmonie.

Earlier that day, always in the Kulturforum area, visit the Berlin State Library (Neue Staatsbibliothek, also by Scharoun, of "Wings of Desire" fame) and the National Gallery by Mies.

Not necessarily modern, depending on the definition, but Museum Island is well worth it, although I don't think the Neues Museum renovation by Chipperfield is that great. Also, for an older building, the AEG Turbinenfabrik by Behrens is great.

The Eisenman buildings in Berlin suck as much as they do everywhere else.

A "pretty cool giant sculpture"? DZ/DG Bank is one of Gehry's more sober projects, and is very well executed.

I like the Jewish Museum by Libeskind. Many don't.

Some of the IBA projects are interesting, mainly Siza's Schlesisches Tor projects, but the area is sad and many of the buildings are degraded. The Hansaviertel projects in the Tiergarten are not nearly the best by any of those architects. The Bauhaus Archive by Gropius is OK.

The Schultes crematorium is very powerful.

So, have you already been to Berlin, or have you been before and are going back now? Which cities will you visit in Spain?

So bad. Soooooooooooo bad. Unfathomably bad. Carl Lewis singing the national anthem bad.

I see. I doubt it as well. I don't like Eisenman's buildings. I don't think they stand up to his "process" (which I'm not keen on anyway) and the ones I've seen are pretty badly built. To me, he really is a "paper architect" who built some bad buildings. I'm not a fan in general, but to me the built work really just obviates any allure the writings/projects might have had. Barragán is incredible, a great, great architect. Spain is much more difficult to list than Berlin, of course; there is just so much. You are probably better off browsing the various books on modern architecture in Spain and looking at modern arch. websites such as MIMOA, etc. I assume you have all the Calatrava buildings/projects listed already. In Barcelona, I like the city in general, the works by Gaudi, Puig i Cadafalch and Doménech i Montaner. Also Montjuic, the hill, with the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies, Fundation Joan Miró by Sert, the Botanical Garden by Ferrater. The cemetery there is beautiful. There are some Miralles, Meier, HM, Nouvel projects in Barcelona but I haven't seen them irl. I have seen quite a few published projects by younger architects that look good, but I can't recall names, etc. right now. I don't know Madrid well other than the Prado, Museo Nacional Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, all well worth it for the art. The Atocha station is by Moneo. I'm sure there is much more there. Bilbao: definitely the Guggenheim and by default you'll probably see the Foster subway stops (not so special imo). There is also a library there by Moneo. The airport is by Calatrava. Near Bilbao: San Sebastián is a beautiful seaside city, with the Kuursal by Moneo and the Wind Comb (Peine del Viento), a beautiful sculpture/installation/environment by Eduardo Chillida and the Plaza del Tenis (same place) by Ganchegui. There are other projects there as well, and I just really like the city. Santiago de Compostela is another really beautiful city. The medieval convent is great. The Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea by Siza is great. In Elciego (Alava) there is the Marqués de Riscal winery/hotel by Gehry but I don't think you like his work too much. Beautiful project and area though, and nearby in Laguardia is the Isios winery by Calatrava. Also one by Hadid, as well as other wineries, in the area. I haven't seen the Chipperfield, etc. (maybe Renzo Piano too) stuff at Valencia for the America's Cup, nor the City of Arts by Calatrava there, but Valencia, Sevilla, Granada, and Cordoba are well worth a trip, esp. the latter 3. The Igualada Cemetery in Igualada by Pinòs and Miralles is great (Miralles is buried there). The National Museum of Roman Art in Merida by Moneo is incredible, a must-see imo. I haven't seen his Roman Theatre of Cartagena Museum in Cartagena but I would like to. I think Can Lis, Jørn Utzon's vacation house in Portopetro (Mallorca) is fantastic, if you get over there. I'll try to think of more later.

It's up and down, but the convenience is that you can type in a city you will be visting and at least get an idea of some of the (modern) buildings there. Absolutely true. It's the only way. Robert Venturi famously criticized Giovanni Michelucci's 'Church of the Autostrada' in the 1st edition of Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, and then more famously redacted his criticism with just that lesson in the 2nd edition, after having finally visited it. Even if the City of Culture is bad, Santiago de Compostela is really worth a visit, for all the other things. Then you can decide to go see the CofC or not.

Gaudi's Sagrada is Modern no? if not modern. If i could see nothing else I'd see that