in
Nashville, Tennessee, opened in 2006 During the 1950s and 1960s, a small group of architects in Europe continued designing classical buildings contrary to the prevailing fashion for
Modernist architecture. British architects
Donald McMorran, who designed several noteworthy neoclassical buildings such as the
Cripps Hall at the University of Nottingham and described the Modernist movement as "a dictatorship of taste", and
Raymond Erith, who mentored New Classical architect
Quinlan Terry – Erith's pupil, employee, partner, and ultimately successor – were notable for their neoclassical works, including numerous civic buildings and housing estates. In mainland Europe,
François Spoerry contributed to the
European Urban Renaissance with his classical designs and by the late 1970s, architects like
Leon Krier and Maurice Culot began challenging modernist planning through publications and counter-projects, a movement further bolstered by the support of
King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and initiatives such as
INTBAU or
The Prince's Foundation for Building Community. and, later,
Create Streets. at the
University of Virginia, 1992, by
Robert A.M. Stern Architects During the same period,
postmodern architecture emerged as a critique to modernist architectural aesthetics. Influential architects inside this movement, such as
Charles Moore,
Robert Venturi, and
Michael Graves used classical elements as ironic motifs to criticize modernism's sterility. A broad spectrum of more than two dozen architects, theorists, and historians also presented alternatives to modernism and among them were several serious New Classical architects who viewed classicism as a legitimate mode of architectural expression, some of whom would later become
Driehaus Prize Laureates, including figures like
Thomas Beeby and
Robert A.M. Stern, who practiced both postmodern and classical styles. Some postmodernist firms, such as Stern and Albert, Righter, & Tittman, outright transitioned from postmodern design to new interpretations of traditional architecture. Today, programs that teach New Classical Architecture are offered at the
University of Miami,
Judson University,
Andrews University and the Center for Advanced Research in Traditional Architecture in Traditional Architecture at the
University of Colorado Denver. The New Classical movement continues to develop at the professional and popular level, gaining momentum after the 1963 demolition of
McKim, Mead & White's
Pennsylvania Railroad Station in
New York City, which led to the formation of
Classical America. Led by
Henry Hope Reed, Jr., which advocated for the appreciation of classical architecture by teaching architects the classical orders and hosting various events and conferences. In 2002, the Institute of Classical Architecture merged with Classical America to form
The Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, which supports regional chapters in the United States that host awards programs, publishes the peer-reviewed journal
The Classicist, and offers educational programs for professionals and the public. The international expansion of the movement was catalyzed by the creation of the
International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism in 2001, a global organization under the patronage of King Charles III, focused on supporting traditional architecture and preserving local character. In 2003, philanthropist
Richard H. Driehaus established the
Driehaus Architecture Prize, awarded by the
University of Notre Dame School of Architecture, to honor architects whose work embodies classical and traditional principles in architecture and urbanism, seen as the alternative to the modernist
Pritzker Prize, but with double the cash prize. It is awarded alongside the
Reed Award which recognizes individuals outside architecture who support traditional city design through writing, planning, or promotion. Other notable classical architecture awards include the American
Palladio Award, the
European Prize Philippe Rotthier, the Iberian
Rafael Manzano Prize, the Edmund N. Bacon Prize, and the Rieger Graham Prize of
The Institute of Classical Architecture and Art for architecture graduates. Since 2014, movements such as the
Architectural Uprising, founded in Sweden, have advocated for traditional designs in new developments. Originally a Facebook group, it has expanded to other Nordic countries and the rest of the world, achieving moderate success in promoting traditional architecture. who founded the Classic Planning Institute (CPI). Based in
Washington, D.C., the CPI focuses on research, practice, and education to incorporate New Classical principles into contemporary urban planning. The CPI also hosts the Traditional Architecture Gathering (TAG), an international conference that attracts hundred of architects and enthusiasts to discuss New Classical Architecture worldwide. As of 2025,
Architectural Place, the first openly pro-classical architecture magazine started operating. == Philosophy ==