How five young architects are shaping modern building design.

Since construction projects often take years and sometimes even decades, architecture is not a career option for the impatient. Even though architects realize many extraordinary projects, it sometimes takes a lifetime before they are recognized for their work. Nevertheless, interest in this fascinating profession is on the rise. As millions of buildings are needed worldwide due to booming populations and urbanization, more architects are required to design them. The job prospects for young architects are therefore better than ever. The number of jobs in architecture is growing by 17 percent per year—faster than the average for all other professions.

Five young architects, whom we introduce below, have already become the talk of the town worldwide thanks to their remarkable projects. [The names are listed in alphabetical order by the architect's last name].

Radio and TV Tower, Istanbul (Turkey)

Melike Altinisik (Turkey)

After graduating from the Faculty of Architecture at Istanbul Technical University in 2003, Melike Altinisik worked for Zaha Hadid in London for seven years. Upon returning to her hometown of Istanbul, Altinisik launched a successful career that earned her several awards.

One of her most remarkable projects is the new Radio and TV Tower in Istanbul. The tower rises among ancient walls and centuries-old mosques, giving the world-famous skyline of the Eurasian metropolis a futuristic touch.

The architect is currently building the Robot Science Museum in Seoul, which is characterized by a revolutionary construction method: self-operating robots shape the metal plates, assemble them, and weld them together. Finally, they also polish the surfaces of the structure.

Bjarke Ingels (Denmark)

Bjarke Ingels, born in Copenhagen in 1974, established himself as an architectural icon at an age when many others are just starting their careers. The design magazine ArchDaily describes his working style as exceptionally optimistic, while at the same time playful, pragmatic, and immediately understandable.

His architecture firm, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), founded in 2014, has already worked on projects that have been groundbreaking for an entire decade, such as the Two World Trade Center, the Google Campus in California, and the LEGO House.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJNvqhK53Kg

In his manifesto titled "Yes is more", Ingels described his design approach as "hedonistic sustainability" and "utopian pragmatism."

Hiroko Kusunoki and Niculas Moreau (France)

The Japanese-French couple Hiroko Kusunoki and Niculas Moreau also work together professionally. As an architect couple, they first came into the international spotlight after their design won the competition for the Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki. At that time, both were 35 years old.

The young duo describes their work as "cultural duality," representing their origins: the two met during an exchange program in which both participated as architecture students.

After founding their own firm in 2011, they quickly won major competitions, which led to commissions such as the construction of the Beauvais Theater and an engineering school at the University of Savoy.

Ma Yansong (China)

Ma Yansong was born in China in 1975 and is the founder of MAD Architects with offices in Beijing and Los Angeles. The fact that he was the first Chinese architect to receive a scholarship from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) helped establish him as one of the most sought-after Asian architects.

His work represents the rise of China and stands for optimism. Yansong's style combines traditional East Asian features with bold, futuristic elements that sometimes border on surrealism. According to his own statement, his constructions combine "structure, landscape, light, plants, and water."

Among the most remarkable projects of the former student of Zaha Hadid Architects are the Absulute Towers, the Ordos Museum, the Opera House in Harbin, and the China Wood Sculpture Museum.

Opera House Harbin, Heilongjiang Province (China)

Young Architects, Mature Visions

Digital technologies and early exchange between different cultures and ideas have a major influence. They will enable many young architects of the 21st century to further solidify their artistic identity before they turn 40 and be ready to shape the buildings of the future.