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Man and The New Society: The International Style and Modernism

The International Style emerged in the 1920s in Germany, Holland and France as a modern style suited for industrialized societies. It emphasized functionality, with sleek designs using steel, glass and no decorative elements. The style was influenced by new construction techniques and a desire for architecture reflecting modern life. Key principles included asymmetry, rhythm, simplicity and repetition. Leading architects who helped develop and spread the style internationally included Walter Gropius, J.J.P. Oud, Le Corbusier, and later Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson in the United States.

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402 views8 pages

Man and The New Society: The International Style and Modernism

The International Style emerged in the 1920s in Germany, Holland and France as a modern style suited for industrialized societies. It emphasized functionality, with sleek designs using steel, glass and no decorative elements. The style was influenced by new construction techniques and a desire for architecture reflecting modern life. Key principles included asymmetry, rhythm, simplicity and repetition. Leading architects who helped develop and spread the style internationally included Walter Gropius, J.J.P. Oud, Le Corbusier, and later Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson in the United States.

Uploaded by

Kristine Jade
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Man and the New Society:

the International Style and


Modernism
Macarampat, Manalo, & Macarambon
What is the International Style?
• In architecture, the term "International Style" describes a type of design that
developed mainly in Germany, Holland and France, during the 1920s,
before spreading to America in the 1930s, where it became the dominant
tendency inAmerican architecture during the middle decades of the 20th
century. Although it never became fashionable for single-family residential
buildings in the United States - despite the efforts of William Lescaze
(1896- 1969), Edward Durrell Stone (1902-78), Richard Neutra (1892-
1970) - the International Style was especially suited to skyscraper
architecture, where its sleek "modern" look, absence of decoration and use
of steel and glass, became synonymous with corporate modernism during
the period 1955-70. It also became the dominant style of 20th century
architecture for institutional and commercial buildings, and even
superceded the traditional historical styles for schools and churches.
Origins and Development
• The International Style emerged largely as a result of four factors that confronted
architects at the beginning of the 20th century:

• (1) Increasing dissatisfaction with building designs that incorporated a mixture of


decorative features from different architectural periods, especially where the resulting
design bore little or no relation to the function of the building;

• (2) The need to build large numbers of commercial and civic buildings that served a
rapidly industrializing society;

• (3) The successful development of new construction techniques involving the use of
steel, reinforced concrete, and glass; and

• (4) A strong desire to create a "modern" style of architecture for "modern man". This
underlined the need for a neutral, functional style, without any of the decorative features
of (say) Romanesque, GOTHIC, or Renaissance architecture, all of which were old-
fashioned, if not obsolete.
• These three factors led architects to seek an honest, economical,
and utilitarian style of architecture that could make use of the new
building methods and materials being developed, while still
satisfying aesthetic taste. Technology was a critical factor here;
the new availability of cheap iron and steel, together with the
discovery in the late 1880s and 1890s of the steel skeleton
structure, made the traditional brick and stone building techniques
obsolete. In addition, architects began using steel-reinforced
concrete for floors and other secondary support elements, and
fenestrating the exteriors of buildings with glass. The resulting
austere and disciplined architecture was thus formed according to
the principle that modern buildings should reflect a clear harmony
between appearance, function, and technology.
Design Principle
Design Principle
• Asymmetric

• Rhythm

• simplicity

• emphasis

• repetition
Leading International Style
Architects
• Pioneer practitioners of the International Style included a
group of brilliant and original architects in the 1920s who
went on to achieve enormous influence in their field.
These figures included Walter Gropius (1883-1969) in
Germany, J.J.P. Oud (1890-1963) in Holland, Le
Corbusier (1887-1965) in France, and Richard Neutra
(1892-1970), Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886- 1969),
and Philip Johnson (1906-2005) in the United States.

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