While most architects are looking to create structures that are modern or futuristic in design, these examples of retro-inspired architecture buildings are reverting back in time to themes and references that were popular back in the day.
What better way to stand out from all the sleek and minimalist-looking structures than by showcasing a building that references old school, vintage looks? These nostalgic pieces of architecture are infusing elements that were utilized years ago as a technique to draw in those accustomed to these iconic themes. From buildings that humorously resemble the 8-bit imagery from retro video games to beach homes that feature a vintage 1960s feel, these retro-inspired architecture designs will certainly have people stopping in their tracks to have a look.
If you're interested in taking a step back in time, then these examples of retro-inspired architecture will offer up some great cases of vintage design techniques.
19 Examples of Retro-Inspired Architecture
18
Retro-Industrial Beach Homes
The 'Point Perry Beach House' by Owen and Vokes Architects
17
Retro Beach Abodes
The House in Palabritas Beach by Metropolis is 60s-Inspired
16
Eclectically Retro Eateries
The Matto Bar and Pizzeria is Cozy and Rustic
15
Bipolar Retro-Modern Homes
The Alvarado House is Conservative Up Front But Modern At the Back
14
Mod Monolithic Architecture
L'And Vinyards Hotel Embodies Luxury and Modernity in its Crispness
13
Remodeled Retro Abodes
The 'House Lam' by Nico van der Meulen is a Modern Take on a Vintage Home
12
Retro Party-Ready Residences
The Atenas 038 House by Dayala + Rafael Arquitetura is Stunning
11
Retro Gas Stations
Top Architects Thought They Could See Future
10
Retro Sci-Fi Retailers
The Dover Street Market London Makeover by Rei Kawakubo is Eye-Catching
9
Retro-Styled Abodes
The Jaime Lacasa Home is a Vintage Cozy Cocoon
8
Retro Retirement Homes
The Armstrong Place Senior Housing is Full of Life
7
Retro-Modern Masterpieces
Dupli Casa Blends Past and Future
6
Reconstructed Castle Homes
The Lymm Water Tower is Converted into a Modern Manison
5
Historic Building Replicas
Creative Architects Honor Their Heritage with Deceivingly New Buildings
4
Vinyl Record Cratechitecture
Raphael Vinoly's Atlas Building Channels Retro Music
3
Vintage Gas Station Bathrooms
An Old Fill Station Becomes a Quirky Rest Stop and Washroom
2
Life-Size 8-Bit Recreations
Enjoy Massive Retro Pixelated Images in HESAV S'Anime Time-Lapse Video
1
Retro Oceanside Escapes
Casa Kimball Has a 70's Vibe to It; Thankfully, No Bell Bottoms
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Nostalgic Gaming Timepieces
The Retro Gaming Watch Brings Gameplay to the Wrist
Venetian-Inspired Museum Designs
The Conceptual Floating Glass Museum is AI-Generated
Nest-Inspired Urban Houses
This Vietnamese Dwelling Offers Respite From the Concrete Jungle
AI-Generated Retrofuturistic Objects
Vadim Sadovski Uses Midjourney AI for This Series
Retro-Futuristic Lighting Lines
Robert Abbey Fine Lighting Unveils a New Line at High Point Market
Nostalgic Cellphone Digital Devices
Aalto University Launched the Nokia Design Archives
Cactus-Inspired Urban Skyscrapers
This Danish Skyscraper Features a Spiky Facade Design
Prefabricated Miniature Home Concepts
i29 Creates the Câpsula Concept for Dutch Design Week
Extreme Space-Saving Architecture
A 74-Square-Foot Apartment is Redefining Urban Living
Futuristic Auto Micro Factories
Most Architecture Unveils a Modern Factory for Charge Cars
70s-Inspired Structural Furniture
Nouveau Standard Creates the Collection 12 of Retro Designs
Retro Video Game Stores
Gamestop is Opening 'Retro' Locations to Sell Used Games
Arts and Crafts-Inspired Homes
Rural Office Designs the Middle Avenue House in Surrey
Japanese Inn-Inspired Apartments
Intheory Design Creates an Apartment Inspired by Ryokan
Retro Japanese-Inspired Cafe Designs
Sarah Carpenter Creates the Postcard Bakery Design in NYC
Historic Fashion Try-Ons
The Design Museum's London Fashion Exhibition Integrates AR Mirrors
Contemporary Ski Home Projects
Alfredo Paredes Reimagines the Traditional Ski Chalet
Playfully Renovated Homes
This Home Has a Slide, Swings and Rock-Climbing Wall
Rejuvenated Chinese Train Stations
MAD Architects Breathed New Life Into a Century-Old Station
Everyday Material Colorful Pavilions
Foster + Partners and NEON Create Two Pavilions in London
Mid-Century Style Montreal Homes
Local Studios Join to Create the Residence Ave Duchastel
80s-Inspired 16-Bit Display Devices
Ahmed Esmael Designs a New Range of Retro Device Concepts
Atlanta Heritage Contemporary Hotels
The New FORTH Hotel Takes Pride in its Atlanta Roots
Affordable Housing Prototypes
Harshit Singh Kothari and Tanvi Jai Complete the Tiny House
Modern Minimalism Apartments
Between the Walls Designs the Old&New Apartment in Kyiv
Japanese Inn-Inspired Micro Apartments
La Tarta Piccola's Mae Prachasilcha Designs a New Apartment
Renovated Compact Loft Apartments
Metre Architects' Vessel Project Renovates a Small Space
Coastal Town-Inspired Apartments
Studio Gameiro Designs the Arriba Apartment in Portugal
Town-Like Classroom Designs
Atelier Apeiron Designs the Kindergarten of Museum Forest Building
Energy-Efficient Office Buildings
This Czech Office Complex is Outfitted With Eco-Friendly Designs
Eccentrically Designed Historic Penthomes
Crina Arghirescu Rogard Adds Designs to a Penthouse
Japanese-Inspired Renovated Homes
OWIU Designs the Mid-Century Modern Duane House in Los Angeles
Sculptural Sunken Gardens
Montalba Architects Renovates an Iconic Building in Los Angeles
Modern A-Frame Toronto Homes
Reign Architects Designs the Contemporary House Caroline
Gallery-Like Elevated Retail Designs
Format Architecture Office Designs the Leica Store & Gallery
Large Headquarter-Transformed Housing
Studio Egret West Designs Hayes Park Central and South
Intricately Patterned Interiors
Viruta Lab's Latest House Renovation is Visually Captivating
Micro-City Housing Nooks
Notan Office Transforms an Industrial Site in Brussels
Modern-Updated Traditional Homes
KiKi ARCHi Designs the Skip House in the Middle of Beijing
Modernist Reconfigured Belgian Homes
ISM Architecten Adds a New Roof to the BEEV Home
Roman Architecture-Inspired Timepieces
The Roma Watch by Panthevm is Inspired by the Patheon Dome
Bamboo-Inspired Cultural Buildings
This Cultural Center Seamlessly Blends Into its Surroundings
Juxtaposing Minimal Artful Homes
Hino Studio Designs the Oceana Retreat in Florida
Red Concrete-Defined Home Renovations
Atelier Delalande Tabourin Renovates a Home in France
Social Network-Encouraging Homes
Ignacio G Galán and OF Architects Design a Madrid Home
Fiji Ocean-Front Estate Homes
A Tesm of Designers Join Forrces to Create the Reef House
Textural Brick Structures
Bennetts Associates & Citizens Design Bureau Create BEAM Cultural Center
Greenery-Packed Museum Buildings
This Science Museum is Designed Around a Central Park
Slopped-Base Green Tiled Homes
Bak Gordon Arquitectos Integrates a Home with Surrounding Buildings
Sandwich-Inspired 70s Decor
The Retro Schlotzsky's Sandwich Studio Line Honors an Iconic Menu Item
Sandy Landscape-Reflective Homes
SIA Arquitectura Designs the Casa da Encosta n Grândola
Harmonious Traditional Home Designs
MAKHNO Studio Updates the Century-Old Kyoto House
Recycling-Centric Waterfront Homes
Measured Architecture Designs the Shor House Project
Robust Monolithic Walled Homes
H Arquitectes Completes the Casa 1736 in Barcelona
Rustic Ruin-Inspired Aquariums
Tatiana Bilbao Estudio Designs The Sea of Cortez Research Center
70s-Inspired Interior Office Renovations
dMFK Architects Renovates the 45 Whitfield Street Office
Morocco-Inspired London Home Extensions
Merrett Houmøller Architects Helps Create a Home Extension
Geometric Prefabricated Pavilions
Heams & Michel Architectes Presents the 7 Kiosks Project
Pixelated Illusion Housing
Ben Van Berkel Creates the Van B Housing with Rieder's Help
Retro Polish Home Renovations
Grzegorz Layer Renovates a Home from the 70s in Poland
Contrasting Facade Clad Apartments
Messner Architets Designs the RVTK Apartments in Italy
Functional Vintage-Inspired Bag Collections
JanSport Presents the 'Retro Series'
Modern Ruin-Inspired Californian Homes
Kelly Wearstler and Masastudio Design the Romick House
Napolean-Era Minimal Apartments
Joris Poggioli Renovates his Historic Parisian Apartment
Architecture-Inspired Building Blocks
James Paulius Designs the Blockitecture® Frank Lloyd Wright
Mid-Century Modern Historical Homes
SHED Architecture & Design Creates the Lark House
Contemporary Nature-Inspired Homes
Fuller/Overby Architecture Designs the Nebo House
Crystalline Chinese Museum Buildings
The 'Space Crystal' Building Looks Like An Otherworldly Rock
Renovated Maximalist Apartments
David/Nicolas Renovates the Casa di Fantasia in Milan
Welcoming Prefabricated Student Housing
Ignacio Prego Architectures Designs New Student Housing
Brutalist Concrete Tower Apartments
Archmongers Renovates the Trellick Tower in London
Refreshing Micro-Living Compact Homes
Mariano Ravenna Designs the SF-FR House with Concrete
Exposed Concrete Stealthy Homes
OFIS Aritekti Designs the Villa Eternal Way in Slovenia
Artfully Inspired Home Renovations
Reflect Architecture Designs the North Drive House in Toronto
Live-In Art Gallery Homes
Casa Galeria is a Home That Doubles as an Art Gallery
Chic Nautical-Inspired Apartments
TENKA ARKITEKTURA Designs a Stylish and Textured Apartment
Raw Concrete Industrial Homes
Studio Cochi Architects Designs the House in Nishizaki
Graphic-Accented Brutalist Apartments
Jean Verville Designs a Creative Laboratory in Quebec City
Compact Calming Homes
Batay-Csorba Architects Masterfully Designed a Modern Brick Home in Toronto
Modern Traditional Japanese Hotels
The Shinmonzen Hotel has a Juxtaposing Design Language
Historic Beachside Mediterranean Resorts
India Mahdavi Reimagines the Monte-Carlo Beach Resort
Renovated 19th-Century Homes
Byró Architekti Renovates a House in Kutná Hora with Bright Joinery
Beach-Overlooking Picturesque Homes
teamSTAR Designs the Villa A in Japan's Yokosuka-City
Textured Local Stone Residences
Point27 Architects Designed the Atrium House in Greece
Historically Rooted Elevated Hotels
The Trilogy Montgomery Hotel Restores a Trio of Buildings
Mint-Tonal Retro Radios
Lego Launches a New Nostalgic Radio Design with Vintage Detailing
Parametric Style Video Games
Zaha Hadid Architects and Epic Games Add to Re:Imagine London
Historical Architecture Game Blocks
LEGO Unveils the Notre-Dame de Paris Set
Red Concrete Exhibition Centers
Mix Architecture Designs the Red Box Exhibition Center
Vibrantly Colored Retro Houses
Familien Kvistad Designs the Yellow house in Oslo, Norway
Sunset-Inspired Polish Apartments
wiercinski-studio Reimagines the 18TH Apartment
Renovated Asymmetric Building Projects
Formation Association Designs the Atwater Canyon Building
Traditional Sandstone Housing Blocks
Peris+Toral Arquitectes Designs Living in Lime
Reanimated Power Plant Parks
BIG Reimagined a Power Plant from 1950s on Manresa Island
Bright Red Timber Buildings
Office ParkScheerbarth Designs the Compact Haus 2+ in Berlin
Modern Deco Office Designs
Reflect Architecture Designs the NewGen Office with Contemporary Detail
Brutalist Converted Learning Centers
Archipelago Transforms a Post Office to a Learning Space
Warm Wooden Interior Homes
OYO Architects Designs the Derelict Dune House in Belgium
Aegean Architecture-Inspired Home Designs
Studio Kali Designs the Arkhe Collection of Furniture
Pale Yellow Minimal Townhomes
i.B. Archstudio Designs the VVV Townhouse with Pastel Hues
Office Building Rainbow Facades
SAKO Architects Designs the Vertical Rainbow Office Building
Rustic Warm Homey Residences
CPlus Architects Design Mother's House in Southwest Beijing
Retro-Futurism Video Cameras
This Super 8 Camera Concept by Juliana Iacono is Nostalgic
Tranquil Subdued House Extensions
Heliotrope Architects Adds a New Extension to a Historic Home
Traditional Barn-Style Residences
Young Projects Designs the Six Square House in Bridgehampton
Lotus Flower-Inspired Villas
Thilina Liyanage Designs the Lotus Villa Inspired by Nature
Caribbean-Inspired Retro Home Extentions
Artefact Designs the Triangle House in London's Epsom
Low-Lying Limestone-Clad Schools
Amelia Tavella Architectes Designs the Fossil Building
Historic Building Architecture Offices
Paul R Williams Designs the New BIG Office in Santa Monica
Renovated Neo-Gothic Provostry
Studio Acht Renovates a 19th-Century Provestry with Modern Touches
Roman Architecture-Themed Pavilions
Pratique and Fanum Design the Forum des Vestiges Pavilion
Interconnected Brick-Clad Buildings
David Chipperfield Architects Blends Three Housing Typologies
Brutalist Minimal Apartment Designs
Zalc Arquitetura Reimagines the JF Apartment in Brazil
Renovated Contemporary Industrial Apartments
TENKA ARKITEKTURA Designs the Burgatoi Project
Architectural Pottery Museums
1+1>2 Architects Designs the Bat Trang Pottery Museum
Personality-Reflecting Brick Homes
Omar Vegara Taller and Renata de Miguel Design Casa Cantellano
Repurposed Factory Studios
Tengbom Uses Existing Elements in the 1930s Factory as a Studio
Retro Gabled Greenhouse Additions
BHY Arquitectos Renovates the Casa Wiz in Buenos Aires
Contemporary 1960s Italian Villas
The Twisted House Honors its Past with Modern Updates
Paper-Like Art Museum Roofs
BIG Expands the Museum for Paper Art in Denmark with a Folded Roof
Industrial Warehouse-Inspired Offices
Carr Designs a New Office Block with Industrial Themes
Retro-Tinged Montreal Restaurants
Ivy Studio Blends Vintage Details to Buvette Daphnée Restaurant
Retro Coastal Home Updates
Feldman Architecture Renovates the Pebble Beach Residence
Rustic Contemporary Bunkhouses
SHED Architecture & Design Unveil the Guemes Island Bunkhouse
Retro Apartment Transformations
Space is around us Designs the Kyano Apartment in Greece
Aircraft-Inspired Retreats
Sander van Schaik Designs the Stay Under the Radar Retreat
Renaissance Building-Transformed Homes
ORA Converts a Historic Building to the Modern Masná 130
Bright Renovated Seaside Apartments
Toledano + Architects Renovates an Apartment in Biarritz
Sawtooth Roof Apartment Blocks
Six Degrees Architects and Hip V Hype Design Ferrars & York
Juxtaposing History-Preserved Homes
PRO-STORY Designs the Double Gable House in Czech Republic
Dynamic Concrete Modern Buildings
Atelier Matias Mosquera Designs the Shire Building
Brutalist-Inspired Apartment Redesigns
Studio Est Redesigns a Battersea Power Station Apartment
Water Flow-Inspired Art Buildings
MAD Designs the Waterfront Nanhai Arts Center in Guangdong
Geometric Red-Brick Suburban Homes
OFIS Arhitekti Designs the Frame House in Ljubljana
Stone Ruin-Transformed Spanish Homes
H Arquitectes Designs the Casa 1627 in Spain
Old Mill-Transformed Modern Homes
RDTH Architekti Designs the New House with Old Mill
Gridded Screen Apartment Blocks
Neri&Hu Design a Grid Facade Residential Building in Taiwan
Repurposed Imperfection-Embraced Buildings
Civic Architects & VDNVP Elevate a Series of Workspaces
Mid-Century Home Modern Extensions
AR Design Studio Extends the Seventies House in Winchester
Stacked Pebble-Inspired Towers
Atelier 9.81 Designs the Calaid Port Tower Building