Aquabucket, great example of thinking outside the box. Modern in the respect that your approach is non-traditional.
won digity, nice comments, but I think aesthetics can inspire reflection which leads to deeper understanding, so looks have their merits.
F&E - awesome quote, and I agree. The book the inspired aquarium displays gorgeous homes with lackluster aquaria, so does MTV's cribs for that matter. Most aquariums from Japan do not provide this satisfaction of both aquaria and "room" because, while the aquariums are simply stunning, spot metal halides are utilized heavily, and those are hard to hide and not very appealing to the eye, so it goes both ways. There are examples out there that satisfy both environments, you've just got to do some searching.
OT, I know, but here's a "modern" freshwater tank that looks great in itself and it's environment (sorry I don't have a full room picture, but this aquarium is in a dining room):
Push the boundary!