The advent of steel in architecture at the beginning of the 20th century is considered as one of the most innovative construction developments in history, allowing architects to create structures with heights, flexibility, and freedom never seen before. Henry Bessemer invented the most successful steel-making process in 1855, but it was not until 1890 that the process was refined enough for construction. The first steel constructions on both sides of the Atlantic, the Rand McNally Building in Chicago and Forth Bridge in Edinburgh, were record-breaking structures of their time.
Over the ensuing century, steel rose to prominence as the material of choice for architectural innovators. Whether it was Buckminster Fuller's iconic domed structures, or the soaring towers of Norman Foster, or the high-tech operation of the Centre Pompidou, the 20th century was one where steel allowed architects to imagine what in previous centuries would have been deemed impossible. Here are 20 examples.
Woolworth Building / Cass Gilbert
Chrysler Building / William Van Alen
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Barcelona Pavilion / Mies van der Rohe
Maison de Verre / Pierre Chareau + Bernard Bijvoet
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The Glass House / Philip Johnson
Seagram Building / Mies van der Rohe
Steel Pre-Fab Houses / Donald Wexler
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Montreal Biosphere / Buckminster Fuller
Centre Le Corbusier (Heidi Weber Museum) / Le Corbusier
Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center / Kenzo Tange
Neue National Gallery in Berlin / Mies van der Rohe
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Willis Tower (Sears Tower) / SOM
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Citigroup Center / Hugh Stubbins + William Le Messurier
Centre Georges Pompidou / Renzo Piano Building Workshop + Richard Rogers
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The Crystal Cathedral / Philip Johnson
Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank / Foster + Partners
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Menil Collection / Renzo Piano
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Bank of China Tower / I.M. Pei
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Maison Bordeaux / OMA
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Millennium Dome / Richard Rogers (RSHP)
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