Ten Most Influential Architects Today

"Some will be names you've heard of, such as Gehry and Richard Meier. Gehry's recent work on the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Pritzker Pavilion has won resounding approval from architecture critics and the citizens of Los Angeles and Chicago.

Others on our list will be names that only architecture buffs know. Zaha Hadid of London is the first female Pritzker Prize winner but is just now asserting her influence on this side of the pond with works such as the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati... Thom Mayne, an American with a unique and rebellious style that incorporates unexpected angles, is gaining prominence and impressive commissions after 30 years in the business.

...There will also be some surprises. You may have never heard the names Greg Lynn or Rick Harlan Schneider, but both are helping to define the future of architecture. Lynn's use of technology and nontraditional forms is transforming the way his firm designs, and Schneider aims to make the entire field more eco-friendly."