When is a building more than just a building? When it swoops and bends, looms in the sky or balances like a bowl on the ground.

Science and sociology have given modern architects the chance to express themselves in buildings that not only echo their artistic vision, but also stand out as works of art against a backdrop of less-than-extraordinary structures. As a result, the distinct outlines of Wright’s Guggenheim Museum, the Sydney Opera House, Pei’s National Gallery and Piano and Roger’s Centre Pompidou are recognizable as both sculpture and architecture. These and other works by architects such as Le Corbusier, Niemeyer, Libeskind, Watanabe, and Gehry are examined in light of their artistic qualities by critic Werner Sewing.

This volume presents a number of the world’s most dramatic examples of sculptural architecture—structures that transcend rational, utilitarian functionality to capture far more intangible visions, dreams, principles, and emotions.

An introductory essay highlights the historical basis of sculptural architecture, tracing a path from Ledoux to Le Corbusier, detecting echoes of eighteenth century England’s formal gardens in Expressionist and organic architecture, and linking Russian Constructivists with deconstructvism.