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    What Is Modern Architecture?: History

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    Chicken Noodles
    Modern architecture emerged in the early 1900s as a rejection of ornamentation in favor of clean, minimalist lines and an emphasis on function over form. It was inspired by industrialization and focused on how humans lived rather than aesthetic beauty. Key characteristics include asymmetrical designs with large windows and open floor plans, as well as the use of materials like steel and glass. Though revolutionary in its embrace of free-flowing space, modern architecture was seen as too cold and impersonal by mid-century as architects incorporated more ornamentation and privacy into contemporary home designs.

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    What Is Modern Architecture?: History

    Uploaded by

    Chicken Noodles
    33 views4 pages
    Modern architecture emerged in the early 1900s as a rejection of ornamentation in favor of clean, minimalist lines and an emphasis on function over form. It was inspired by industrialization and focused on how humans lived rather than aesthetic beauty. Key characteristics include asymmetrical designs with large windows and open floor plans, as well as the use of materials like steel and glass. Though revolutionary in its embrace of free-flowing space, modern architecture was seen as too cold and impersonal by mid-century as architects incorporated more ornamentation and privacy into contemporary home designs.

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    Modern architecture emerged in the early 1900s as a rejection of ornamentation in favor of clean, minimalist lines and an emphasis on function over form. It was inspired by industrialization and focused on how humans lived rather than aesthetic beauty. Key characteristics include asymmetrical designs with large windows and open floor plans, as well as the use of materials like steel and glass. Though revolutionary in its embrace of free-flowing space, modern architecture was seen as too cold and impersonal by mid-century as architects incorporated more ornamentation and privacy into contemporary home designs.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    33 views4 pages

    What Is Modern Architecture?: History

    Uploaded by

    Chicken Noodles
    Modern architecture emerged in the early 1900s as a rejection of ornamentation in favor of clean, minimalist lines and an emphasis on function over form. It was inspired by industrialization and focused on how humans lived rather than aesthetic beauty. Key characteristics include asymmetrical designs with large windows and open floor plans, as well as the use of materials like steel and glass. Though revolutionary in its embrace of free-flowing space, modern architecture was seen as too cold and impersonal by mid-century as architects incorporated more ornamentation and privacy into contemporary home designs.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 4

    What Is Modern Architecture?

    Written by 
    Lauren Thomann
    Updated 12/18/20

     Scott Van Dyke / Getty Images

    The dawn of modern architecture came at a time when hand-labored


    craftsmanship was being replaced with machine-made
    industrialization. Modern architects worked to reinvent ways of
    building that focused more on how humans lived versus what they
    found beautiful. This architecture is not sentimental, like revivalist
    styles. Instead, it is innovative, experimental, and minimal. 

    What Is Modern Architecture?

    Modern architecture is a style of building that emphasizes function


    and a streamlined form over ornamentation. This design aesthetic is
    a departure from more elaborate and decorated homes like a Queen
    Anne, Victorian, or Gothic Revival styles. Modern architecture
    usually involves sharp, clean lines.

    There are several styles of modern architecture in the United States


    alone. From 1930 through 1970, there are categories
    like Expressionist, Constructivist, and Mid-Century Modern, to name a
    few. :09

    History
    The modern movement was not short-lived, and it encompasses
    several sub-styles that span nearly 60 years. In this way, it can be
    difficult to pinpoint an exact starting point. To some, the style
    includes more transitional architecture like the Art Deco and Arts
    and Crafts movements. To others, those earlier styles served as
    inspiration for more "pure," mid-century modern architects.
    The birth of modern design came with the thought that form should
    follow function. This idea started with architect Louis Sullivan who
    designed buildings for the 1893 Chicago World Fair. That mantra
    became the foundation for modern architects.

    Other popular pioneers of modern architecture include Frank Lloyd


    Wright, Staatliches Bauhaus, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Le
    Corbusier. 

    The modern design aesthetic was in full swing in the 1930s and
    became known as International Modernism or International Style. This
    design aesthetic came after an architecture exhibit by Philip Johnson
    in 1932.

    In general, the most well-known examples of modern architecture


    end around the mid 20th century, but the design style still
    influences buildings well into the late 20th century. 

    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.

    Interesting Facts
    The most common theme is the elimination of ornaments. 

    Earlier styles of modern architecture still had some use of


    ornamentation. For instance, Frank Lloyd Wright would incorporate
    art glass windows so that no additional artwork was needed. Beyond
    that, modern architecture is mostly analytical and not showy. 

    Modern architecture is different than contemporary architecture. 

    To some people, modern and contemporary architecture are the


    same thing. However, modern architecture was inspired by an art
    movement known as modernism and lasted until around 1960.
    Contemporary architecture incorporates architecture past the 1960s
    and leading up to today. In short, contemporary architecture is
    reflective of styles in this current moment, which happen to be very
    diverse. 

    Eventually, modern homes seemed too cold for everyday living. 

    Modern homes were revolutionary in that they embraced the


    concept of free-flowing space. The ideology also rejected clutter and
    excess belongings. However, as the design period went on, many
    architects challenged this strict notion of space and lack of stuff as
    cold and impersonal. This evolution brought on more contemporary
    designs that worked to incorporate ornamentation and color. In
    contemporary homes, you can have an open concept floor plan but
    also have an element of privacy. 
    In summary, modern architecture began in the early 1900s and
    ended around the 1960s when more contemporary designs took
    over. The basic principles of modern architecture include form
    following function, clean lines, and a lack of ornamentation.
    Eventually, modern principles became too cold for everyday living
    due to an excess of space and the stark nature of the building
    materials.

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