Philippe Starck appears to be something of a wunderkind in the design world -- many see his persona as a combination of the outrageous "bad boy" and the traditional French "je ne sais quoi." In fact, his foray into the world of design stems from somewhat dark, existential roots. As the story goes,

Biomorphic, Dramatic, Joyful, Late modern, Monochromatic, Sensual, Spiritual

At the forefront of architectural design since beginning his practice in 1964, Michael Graves can be counted among such architectural heavyweights as Robert Venturi, Frank Gehry, and Charles Gwathmey. Graves' work has diverted the evolution of urban architecture away from Modernist abstraction and to

Bubblicious, Clean, Five architects, Minimal, Postmodern architecture, Smart, Spare

Mario Botta apprenticed with acclaimed Modernist architect Louis I. Kahn before developing his own style of Neo-Realism -- a kind of Postmodern Classicism that invents its own orders. He ditches the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian forms of old for a layering of colors, textures, materials, and elements

Biomorphic, Critical regionalism, Functional, Polychromatic, Postmodern furniture, Pristine, Round, The tichino school

According to Frank Gehry, architecture is intimately linked with social structure and purpose. He insists that his buildings address the context and culture of their particular sites, as well as provide a comfortable, stimulating experience to their occupants. Gehry also believes that architecture is

Collage, Deconstructive, Glamour, Postmodern architecture, Quirky, Sensual