What is characteristic of Modernist architecture?
- Do the major design features involve steel and glass?
- Was the design machine-inspired? (does it look somewhat like a machine?)
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- Does the design lack unnecessary details? Does its form follow its function?
- Does the design emphasize linear qualities? Are there a lot of horizontal and vertical lines?
- So, when exactly did Modernism develop as an architectural style?
- Modernism gained popularity after WWII and its influence is most exemplified by corporate buildings.
Who are some famous Modernist architects?
- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe – German-American architect. “Skin and bones” architecture. His designs used plate and glass to emphasize open spaces.
- Walter Gropius – German architect who couldn’t draw. His article “The Development of Industrial Buildings” influenced a lot of European modernists. His most famous contribution, however, is the Gropius door handle, as depicted in this article by Salvaged Grace: “Bauhaus”
- Le Corbusier –French citizen, but born in Switzerland. His designs improved city-dwellings for lower-class people by stacking apartments on top of each other in a feature called “high design.”
- Louis Sullivan – dubbed the creator of the modern skyscraper.
