Fagus Werk, a photo by Joost Barendregt on Flickr.

Modernist Icon Joins UNESCO Heritage List:

Its sleek design and airy glass façade made Walter Gropius’ Fagus Factory influential, both in its day — and also now, a century later. On Saturday, the United Nations’ cultural organisation UNESCO announced it would add the factory to its prestigious list of World Heritage Sites.

Describing it as “a landmark in the development of modern architecture in Europe and North America,” UNESCO incorporated the factory, which manufactures shoe lasts, into the elite international heritage list.