Architecture has always been the faithful mirror of society's most important transformations. By the same token, modern architecture, which has broken away from established trends and has a wealth of technology at its disposal, affirms new values that cater to the psychological and spiritual progress of humanity. This innovative work's timeline starts with the end of World War II and the ensuing rift in international architecture and urban planning. Through highly informative images, the book conveys the new representative languages of the postwar era, with its need for reconstruction and its quest for a new monumentality, and examines the new trends that emerged up to the beginning of the 21st century. Photography has been used as an extraordinary medium to explore this new world of architecture, with its ethereal and sometimes colossal forms that are utterly rational and surprisingly well balanced. Essays written by experts, accompanied by high-quality photographs that perfectly capture the multifaceted spirit of modern architecture, illustrate the complex tapestry of the international movements of the 20th century, from technological expressiveness to a new modernity, investigating meg-astructures, advanced technology, postmodernism, minimalism and deconstructionism. Sprawling museums and hyperfunctional airports, enormous shopping centers and futuristic libraries, sports arenas and immense university complexes are presented ? along with their brilliant creators ? on this surprising journey through forms, materials, colors, ideas and symbols. The outcome is an uncommon portrait of our world and the way architecture interprets it. AUTHOR: Matteo Agnoletto, born in Modena in 1972, worked at the architectural firms of Renzo Piano and Jean Nouvel and is the cofounder of ACZ Studio di Architettura. In addition to teaching at the university level, Agnoletto writes articles for newspapers and magazines, and has been the editor in chief of Parametro from 2003 to 2008. Francesco Boccia, born in Milan in 1967, works as a freelance architect and also contributes to numerous trade periodicals. His publications include La ricostruzione virtuale del Teatro alla Scala (1996). Silvio Cassara, born in Modica in 1947, is an architect. He teaches at Italian and foreign universities, and writes for architectural journals, including Parametro. Cassara has recently organized exhibitions presenting several New York architects. His publications include Richard Meier: Recent Works (2004). Alessandra Di Marco, born in Milan 1972 is the archivist responsible for maps and photographs at CEDAT (Centro di Documentazione dell?Architettura e del Territorio) at the Polytechnic Institute of Milan. Guya Elisabetta Rosso, who was born in Vercelli in 1975, has collaborated with Piedmontese architectural firms and with the Polytechnic Institute of Milan on the development of the Territorial Coordination Plan for the Province of Mantua (2000). Marco Tagliatori, born in Turin in 1968, is a freelance architect specializing in interior design. He has also worked with the Polytechnic Institute of Turin. In 1997 he curated an exhibition on Norwegian Functionalism at Castello del Valentino in Turin. ILLUSTRATIONS: Colour