EMERGENCE OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE
IN 20TH CENTURY
-BY ADITI AND NISTHA
MODERNISM
• Modernism refers to a global movement in society and culture that from the early decades of
the twentieth century sought a new alignment with the experience and values of modern
industrial life.
• Building on late nineteenth-century precedents, artists around the world used new imagery,
materials and techniques to create artworks that they felt better reflected the realities and hopes
of modern societies.
• Although many different styles are encompassed by the term, there are certain underlying
principles that define modernist art: A rejection of history and conservative values (such as
realistic depiction of subjects); innovation and experimentation with form (the shapes, colours
and lines that make up the work) with a tendency to abstraction; and an emphasis on materials,
techniques and processes.
• Modernism has also been driven by various social and political agendas. These were often
utopian, and modernism was in general associated with ideal visions of human life and society
and a belief in progress.
HISTORY OF MODERNISM
The rise of modernism in architecture is between the 1920s and 1950s. However, its origins go back to the
Enlightenment and expansions to the high-tech. Thus, its history can be divided into three periods, as early,
modern, and late, at which the most famous mottos of architecture were coined.
Eighteenth Century:
• Modernism was influenced by the Enlightenment (Age of Reason), which brought the Industrial Revolution. This
influence was based on rationalism, a foundational term for the Enlightenment.
Late Nineteenth Century:
• This aesthetic purism with pragmatic reasoning was reflected in modernism as simplicity and elimination of ornament.
Modernist architects regarded ornamentation as a symbol of the past, traditional, historical styles and rejected it in
favor of clean structures with plain, unornamented surfaces.
Early Twentieth Century:
• Father of modernism, Louis Sullivan coined another famous motto, ''form follows function,'' in 1918. In modernism,
priority was given to function, and function was the basis of form.
Bauhaus Modernism (1917-1933):
• Modernism in architecture grew from the Bauhaus, a German architecture and design school established in 1919 by
Walter Gropius along with Mies, Marcel Breuer, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee. Bauhaus combined art with
technology, crafts with industrial production to revitalize design for everyday life.
MODERNISM IN ARCHITECTURE
• In architecture, it’s defined as a design language with an emphasis
on form rather than ornament; structure and materials rather than
picturesque constructions; and the rational and efficient use of
space.
• By the beginning of the 20th century, architects also had UNADORNED FACADES, WITH GEOMETRIC SHAPES
increasingly abandoned past styles and conventions in favour of a
form of architecture based on essential functional concerns. They
were helped by advances in building technologies such as the steel
frame and the curtain wall.
• In the period after World War I these tendencies became codified as
the International Style, which utilized simple geometric shapes and
unadorned facades and which abandoned any use of historical
reference.
CLEAN LINES WITH GLASS FACADES
• In the mid-to-late 20th century this style manifested itself in clean-
lined, unadorned glass skyscrapers and mass housing projects.
MODERN ARCHITECTURE AND
IT’S VARIATION
Expressionism- use of distorted shapes, fragmented lines,
organic or biomorphic forms, massive sculpted shapes,
extensive use of concrete and brick, and lack of symmetry.
Constructivism- characterized by a sense of movement and
abstract geometric shapes; technological details such as
antennae, signs, and projection screens; and machine-made
building parts primarily of glass and steel.
Bauhaus- flat roofs, smooth façades, and cubic shapes. Colors
are white, gray, beige, or black. Floor plans are open and
furniture is functional.
International- geometric, monolithic skyscrapers with these typical
features: a rectangular solid with six sides (including ground floor) and a
flat roof; a curtain wall (exterior siding) completely of glass; no
ornamentation; and stone, steel, glass construction materials.
Desert Midcentury Modernism- expansive glass walls and windows;
dramatic roof lines with wide overhangs; open floor plans with outdoor
living spaces incorporated into the overall design; and a combination of
modern (steel and plastic) and traditional (wood and stone) building
materials.
Brutalism- precast concrete slabs, rough, unfinished surfaces, exposed
steel beams, and massive, sculptural shapes.
Deconstructivism- Structures may appear to be made up of unrelated,
disharmonious abstract forms, like a cubist work of art — and then the
architect violates the cube.
Minimalism- open floor plans with few if any interior walls;
emphasis on the outline or frame of the structure; incorporating
negative spaces around the structure as part of the overall
design; using lighting to dramatize geometric lines and planes;
and stripping the building of all but the most essential elements
Metabolism- characterized by recycling and prefabrication;
expansion and contraction based on need; modular, replaceable
units (cells or pods) attached to a core infrastructure; and
sustainability.
Parametricism- The design concept was to create a fluid,
continuous skin that would appear to fold onto its surrounding
plaza, and the interior would be column-free to create a
continuously open and fluid space.
CHARACTERISTICS
Since there are so many styles of modern architecture, there are several defining characteristics. These are
some of the more common, broad key features that can be seen across many different forms.
• Clean, minimal lines. These lines lack additional ornamentation and are generally consistent, smooth
texture.
• Broad roof overhangs. Several modern homes emphasize low, horizontal structures with large roof
overhangs.
• Walls of glass and large windows. You will find a very generous use of glass, which allows a significant
amount of natural light into the interior.
• Open and well-defined floorplans. Since modern architecture focuses on form over function, architects
sought to include large, spacious floorplans with dining and living spaces that flowed into one another.
• Modern and traditional building materials. Some common materials in modern homes include steel,
concrete block, iron, and glass. More conventional building materials like wood, brick, and stone were
used in more straightforward ways to show off their natural beauty.
• A relationship to the outside environment. A lot of thought when into building sites and how buildings
would relate to the natural landscape surrounding it.
• Asymmetrical designs. Modern architects played around with large, smooth shapes and asymmetrical
compositions that were cleanly planed and lacked any additional decoration.
FAMOUS ARCHITECTS
• Frank Lloyd Wright
• Louis Sullivan
• Walter Gropius
• Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
• Le Corbusier.
Guggenheim Museum
• Architect- Frank Lloyd Wright
• Location- Manhattan, New York
• Founded in 1947.
• Concept- a white ribbon rolled into a cylindrical shape, slightly wider
at the top than at the bottom.
• Spaces- The Museum Guggenheim exhibits a great difference to the
buildings in the vicinity because of its spiral shape, marked by the
merging of triangles, ovals, arcs, circles and squares, which
correspond to the concept of organic architecture used by Frank
Lloyd Wright in his designs.
• Material- Precast Concrete blocks and white paint.
Characteristics of museum:
• Variation- Organic
• Asymmetrical plan
• Use of geometric shapes such as circles, ovals and
arches
• Use of modern material
• Spacious floor plan
• Clean and smooth facades
WainWright Building
• Architect- Louis Sullivan
• Location- St Louis, Missouri
• Built- 1891
• Height- 44.81m
• Concept- Form follows function
• Material- Steel Frames, red bricks and terracotta
Characteristics:
• Inspired by neoclassical architecture
• Glass facade used in first two stories
• Clean minimal lines
• Roof overhangs
• Seel frame with conventional material
• Clean and smooth facades
• Decorative elements used for eaves
Bauhaus School
• Architect- Walter Gropius
• Location- Dessau
• Built- 1925
• Concept- Minimalistic, form follows function
• Material- Glass, concrete
Characteristics:
• Simplified forms and unadorned functionalism
• Extreme use of glass facades
• Asymmetrical plan
• Open spaces
• Clean minimal lines
• Flat roof
• Clean and smooth facades
• Frames are steel based
Crown Hall
• Architect- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
• Location- Chicago
• Built- 1956
• Concept- Minimalistic, form follows function
• Material- Glass, concrete, Steel
Characteristics:
• Simplified forms and unadorned functionalism
• Extreme use of glass facades
• Symmetrical facade
• Open spaces
• Clean minimal lines
• Flat roof
• Clean and smooth facades
• Frames are steel based
Villa Savoye
• Architect- Le Corbusier
• Location- United Nations Headquarters, New York
• Founded in 1931
• Concept- Villa Savoye is also a demonstration of Le Corbusier's
belief in the home as a "machine for living in" – a concept based on
the architect's admiration for well-built automobiles and trans-
Atlantic steamships.
• Material- Concrete
Characteristics:
• Simplified forms and unadorned functionalism
• Large openings
• Symmetrical facade
• Use of Geometric Shapes
• Clean minimal lines
• Use of grey, white colours
• Clean and smooth facades
REFERENCES
• https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/m/modernism
• https://study.com/academy/lesson/modernism-in-architecture-definition-history.html
• https://savingplaces.org/modern-architecture#.YZKrZWBBxPY
• https://www.thoughtco.com/modernism-picture-dictionary-4065245
• https://www.thespruce.com/modern-architecture-4797910
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wainwright_Building
• https://uk.work-agile.com/le-corbusiers-iconic-modern-architecture-and-design/
• https://www.slideshare.net/benazirmohamedkhan/bauhaus-14795672
