Describing an architectural style as “modern” can be somewhat confusing. After all, a structure was modern while it was being designed and built. So why do so many 20th-century movements and styles fall under the term modernism? What was so different that designers felt the need to label their work as a harbinger of a new future? And why did architects feel the need to establish rules for construction in the first place? The answers to many of these questions are influenced by historical events. Others are less straightforward and rooted in a long history of design styles and cultural influences.
Here we'll analyze some of the most emblematic styles of modernism to help you learn more about the history of design and better understand some of the works that define modern architecture. What often unites the different styles of modernism is a focus on logic. Modern design generally eliminates unnecessary visual clutter and reimagines spaces for their primary functions.
Designer Massimo Vignelli, whose career spanned graphic design to kitchenware, described this logic-based process. “Good design is a matter of discipline. It begins by analyzing the problem and gathering all available information about it. If you understand the problem, you have the solution. It’s really more about logic than imagination.”.
Many of these modernist ideas became popular in the period between the First and Second World Wars, when designers were motivated to rethink life in almost every way. That's why modernism can be found in architecture, art, literature, and much more.
Common trends in modernism
The following characteristics are just some of the ideas that broadly define modernism. Since modern architecture covers so many periods of history and so many design styles, some factors don't apply to everything. Some ideas also naturally blend with other concepts. However, these three general ideas tend to remain the same.
“Form follows function”
This famous precept, coined by the renowned architect Louis Sullivan, does a good job of summarizing modernism. Modern architectural styles are often driven by the pursuit of logic. As in the previous quote from Vignelli, design is not about making art; it is about solving a spatial problem. Sullivan's inspiration for this famous quote came from the ancient Roman architectural master Vitruvius, who believed that all works should possess the qualities of firmitas , utilitas , venustas : strength, utility, and beauty. This pursuit is present in famous architectural ideas such as Le Corbusier's "machine for living."
Without ornamentation
Since logic is the guiding principle of modernism, it may seem obvious that decoration is a difficult concept to sell. For modernists, a simple, clean solution is more beautiful than any meaningless ornamentation. Designers also intended their buildings and structures to be timeless. Any unnecessary detail was another opportunity for their piece to become outdated.
However, you might spot a few exceptions to the rule. How can you be sure that every element of a building is designed according to logic? One potential rebel is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a devout believer in simplicity and well-known for saying “less is more.” Yet he is also known for leaving the beams exposed in his projects and painting them white. Is leaving the structure bare when it could have been concealed by a wall simply decoration? Or is this design more rational, conveying the honesty of the materials? It seems that pure logic is difficult to achieve when decoration is based on opinion.
Clean lines
Clean lines are another byproduct of the idea that form should follow function. Many modernist pieces incorporated flat roofs and other horizontal planes that were altered to create an effect of overlapping volumes. The guidelines for all this dynamism were left clear and uninterrupted. This is also related to honesty in the representation of materials. It was important that the intersection of materials or structural elements be exposed so that designers could be transparent about the process used to create the space.
Modernist styles in architecture
Rationalism
Weißenhofsiedlung (main building) by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Walter Gropius and others. ( Stock photos by Cinematographer/Shutterstock).
Rationalism, also known as the International Style, is probably the most famous form of modernism in architecture. In fact, people often use the terms modernist style and international style interchangeably.
World War I inspired architects to reinvent the world around them, leading designers in the Netherlands, France, and Germany to seek designs based purely on logic. This decision stemmed in part from the fact that many buildings of the time were notable for being decorated with irrelevant historical influences. There was also a need for buildings that could be produced quickly, as well as for material innovation. These ideas and the pursuit of logic would later influence modernist movements worldwide. Several manifestos were written to define the rules of this global and perfectly rational style. The most notable attempt was by a group of 28 European architects called the International Congresses of Modern Architecture, or CIAM.
Some notable architects of the International Style include Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Richard Neutra, and Philip Johnson, the latter of whom first defined the name with Henry Russell Hitchcock for a MoMA exhibition.
Bauhaus
Bauhaus building in Dessau by Walter Gropius (Photo: Stock photos by Cinematographer/Shutterstock).
Bauhaus school was founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius and operated under many of the same functionalist ideas that Johnson and Hitchcock would later call the International Style. Like rationalism, the Bauhaus school and its founders wanted to make good design accessible to everyone. Because of this, the Bauhaus established modern standards for fine art, furniture, graphic design, typography, and more until the political climate in Germany brought the movement to an end. Walter Gropius's Bauhaus building in Dessau is a prime example of Bauhaus architectural principles.
Mid-Century Modern
The Glass House by Philip Johnson (Photo: Stock photos by Ritu Manoj Jethani/Shutterstock).
Mid-Century Modern is often considered the American response to rationalism. In fact, some of the renowned architects who worked in this style, including Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, are also considered architects of the International Style or Bauhaus movement after arriving in the United States from Europe. Although the original designs were created between the 1930s and 1960s, the furniture and certain design elements remain popular today.
Similar to rationalism, Mid-Century Modern envisioned a new, cerebral future that reinvented space, especially the home. Elements such as overlapping and shifting planes with clean lines, transparency and glass that connected the user with nature, and playful colors (especially browns and oranges or grays and teals) are all indicative of this style. Color is generally carefully balanced with a simple or monochromatic composition of natural materials.
Some notable architects of the era include Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Eileen Gray, Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, Luis Barragán , and Oscar Niemeyer.
Expressionism
Tower , or Einsteinturm, by Erich Mendelsohn (Photo: Stock Photos by Peeradontax/Shutterstock) .
Expressionism in architecture predates rationalism, making Expressionist work one of the earliest examples of what we now consider modernist architecture. The term generally refers to the avant-garde work of Europeans from 1905 to the 1930s. Many of the core ideas of other modernist movements can be found in this style, including the exploration of new forms or masses, the incorporation of new materials from a new industrial age, and a connection to unusual forms found in nature.
Expressionist architecture offers insight into the social and political difficulties of the era. Many projects remained only on paper, as there were few opportunities to build due to the economic crisis following World War I. The architects who did build were often World War I veterans, and their experiences translated into the shift found in Expressionism—a utopian or romantic vision for a time of peace. A key distinction is that, while some modernist ideas sought to achieve logic, many Expressionists viewed architecture as works of art.
De Stijl
Rietveld Schröder House by Gerrit Rietveld (Photo: Stock Photos by www.hollandfoto.net/Shutterstock).
One of the most recognizable characteristics of the Dutch De Stijl is its use of red, blue, and yellow. Even those unfamiliar with De Stijl architecture can likely see a resemblance to Mondrian . Since the designers were simplifying ideas into their purest components, or at least their most basic elements, it makes sense that they would use a color palette composed of the most basic or primary colors.
Besides the prominent use of color, other characteristics of De Stijl largely remain consistent with other forms of modernism. The most famous example of De Stijl architecture is probably the Rietveld Schröder House, sometimes cited as the only building where every component adheres to its principles.
Constructivism
Monument to the Third International, or Tatlin Tower, by Vladimir Tatlin (Photo: Unknown [Public Domain] ).
Constructivism is a form of modernism that emerged in the Soviet Union between World War I and World War II. Like almost all the styles on this list, it was accompanied by an artistic movement that upheld similar values. As can be seen in the unique and artistic projects that make this style so popular, it was heavily influenced by communism and the possibilities offered by new technologies in construction and structural design.
Although there are Constructivist buildings, many famous Constructivist projects straddle the line between sculpture and architecture. Arguably the most famous example of Constructivism is Tatlin's Tower, a structure that might remind you of the Eiffel Tower. The piece is a monument to industry, but above all to the Comintern . This tower of iron, glass, and steel would have stood approximately 400 meters tall and incorporated elements of pure geometry.
Metabolism
Nakagin Capsule Tower by Kisho Kurokawa (Photo: Stock photos by serifetto/Shutterstock).
Metabolism was a movement within Japanese modernism in architecture. If the name sounds like something from biology, it's because the Metabolists believed that architecture, and cities as a whole, should be designed like living, breathing organisms. This desire for flexibility makes sense given that Japanese designers were witnessing cities expanding to accommodate a growing population during the postwar period of the 1960s. The forms of Metabolist buildings tend to demonstrate these organic shapes and often a modularity that lends itself to future growth and expansion.
The theory of metabolism was primarily promoted by a group of Kenzo Tange's students through a series of essays including "Ocean City," "Space City," "Towards Group Form," and "Material and Man." The Nakagin Capsule Tower is one of the best-known examples of metabolist structures.
Brutalism
Library at the University of California, San Diego by William Pereira (Photo: Stock photos by Kit Leong/Shutterstock) .
The term Brutalism comes from the French phrase "Béton brut," meaning raw concrete. Brutalist buildings are known for their extensive use of exposed concrete with elements of steel, glass, or other supporting materials. Like most modernist styles, it is a study of the simplest possible solution to a spatial or programmatic problem. It was also particularly conscious of integrity or honesty in expressing the material used in architecture, hence the use of bare, undecorated concrete walls.
Brutalism was popularly used for social housing projects because its minimalism and functionalism made it an economical option. It is sometimes seen as a controversial architectural style, as people may perceive its lack of decoration as soulless or even stingy; however, brutalism occasionally experiences a resurgence in popularity after its golden age in the 1950s and 1960s.
Source: https://mymodernmet.com/es/.
