TH 20

CENTURY - ARCHITECTURE

Early Modern architecture

Early Modern architecture began with a number of building styles with similar characteristics, primarily the simplification of form and the elimination of ornament, that first arose around 1900. By the 1940s these styles had largely consolidated and been identified as the International style. The exact characteristics and origins of modern architecture are still open to interpretation and debate. An important trigger appears to have been the maxim credited to Louise Sullivan: form follows function".

 The late 19th and early 20th century was a period of transition architecturally, marking the entrance into a new era of building. This was the beginning of forward looking architectural design with styles not based on previous building forms. Changes in construction techniques, especially the development of sky scraper technology, and a desire to create houses that fit visually into the natural environment influenced the developing styles of this era.

The first style to emerge from this architectural movement was the Sullivanesque style. Named for its creator Louis Sullivan, a prominent American architect, the Sullivanesque style was developed as a design for sky scrapers. Sullivan divided the sky scraper into three parts, an entry level, midsection, and highly ornamented top cornice. This style shows the influence of the Art Nouveau movement in the curvilinear lines and complex patterns of the decorative elements. The Commercial style, sometimes called the Chicago style, is a more pared down design for sky scrapers based on a steel frame construction. Sometimes ornamented with elements of other styles like the Romanesque or Gothic Revival, the basic grid design of the Commercial style is still evident.

Louis Sullivan
BORN: September 3, 1856, Boston, Massachusetts, United States DIED: April 14, 1924, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Architecture in Mississippi During the 20th Century

As the 20th century dawned, Mississippians hope for the future was often expressed in the buildings they built. There was a revival in the architecture of not only the ancient classical past, but also that of the earliest days of our nations history.

The Beaux Arts style in Mississippi includes the Meridian City Hall. Courtesy Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and an absence of applied decoration. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely. In a broader sense, early modern architecture began at the turn of the 20th century with efforts to reconcile the principles underlying architectural design with rapid technological advancement and the modernization of society. It would take the form of numerous movements, schools of design, and architectural styles, some in tension with one another, and often equally defying such classification.

MODERNISM
AFTER 1900 ARTISTIC INNOVATION IN EUROPE AND THE U.S INCREASED IN A RAPID SUCCESIONS OF MOVEMENTS, OR ISMS. THE MODERN MOVEMENT LASTED THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY. MODERNISM REJECTS OLD, TRADITIONAL IDEAS AND STYLES IN ART AND DESIGN ALTHOUGH MODERNIST STYLES ARE DIVERSE, ART MOVED TOWARD ABSTRACTION AND REJECTED HISTORICAL STYLES AND ORNAMENTATION MODERN ARCHITECTURE REVEALS RATHER THAN CONCEALS THE INNER STRUCTURE OF THE BUILDING.

The history of architecture traces the changes in architecture through various traditions, regions, overarching stylistic trends, and dates.

20th-century architecture The Modernist movement - BEFORE WORLD WAR II

EUROPE

The Modernist movement in architecture was an attempt to create a nonhistorical architecture of Functionalism in which a new sense of space would be created with the help of modern materials. A reaction against the stylistic pluralism of the 19th century, Modernism was also coloured by the belief that the 20th century had given birth to modern man, who would need a radically new kind of architecture.

 The Viennese architect Adolf Loos opposed the use of any ornament at all and designed purist compositions of bald, functional blocks such as the Steiner House at Vienna (1910), one of the first private houses of reinforced concrete.

Peter Behrens, having had contact with Joseph Olbrich at Darmstadt and with Josef Hoffman at Vienna, was in 1907 appointed artistic adviser in charge of the AEG (Allgemeine Elektricitts Gesellschaft), for which he designed a turbine factory (1909) at Berlin.
Behrens strongly affected three great architects who worked in his office: Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

AFRICA

the subject of contemporary African architecture is as vast as the continent itself. Each African region and country has experienced colonization, nationalism, and modernity in a unique way, and generalizations about the continent would have to be so broad as to be virtually meaningless. Nevertheless, an examination of selected colonial influences and national architectural identities reveals much about the diversity and plurality of postcolonial Africa.

 As has always been the case in Africa, contemporary architecture reveals the influence of a rich array of cultures. Colonial explorers and administrators brought European architectural forms to the coasts and urban areas of Africa, a phenomenon that is echoed in both nationalist architecture and urban planning. The Portuguese, for example, brought medieval European fortress architecture to Africa, primarily along the western and southwestern coastal regions. Characteristic features of Portuguese colonial architectureprimarily manifested in coastal forts and castlesinclude high towers, thick masonry walls with gun turrets, large storage spaces and dungeons for slaves, and living quarters sited within defensive walls. Many of the European forts and castles in Africa are located along the coast of Ghana because of the large quantities of gold exported there.

The Bungalow or Craftsman style is another residential style that developed at the turn of the 20th century and became widespread throughout the country in various vernacular forms. Bungalows were first seen in California and were inspired by the English Arts and Crafts movement stressing hand-crafted materials and harmony with nature. Known for their heavy columned front porches, front facing gables, and overhanging eaves, Bungalow style houses often have exposed rafters and other decorative wood trim as well. Pattern books and mail order catalogs enabled the Bungalow style to become very popular in the developing suburbs of the early 20th century. The styles of this period set the stage for even greater change in architectural theory and practice in the years to follow.

Bungalow Style, St. Marys City, Elk County

10 Buildings of the Modern Era

1. 1905 to 1910 : Casa Mila Barcelona

Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi defied rigid geometry when he designed Casa Mila Barcelona. Casa Mila Barcelona is an apartment building with a fanciful aura. Wavy walls seem to undulate and a comical array of chimney stacks dance across the roof. "The straight line belongs to men, the curved one to God," Gaudi asserted.

2. 1913 : Grand Central, New York

Designed by architects Reed and Stem of St. Louis and Warren and Wetmore of New York city, the $43 million dollar Grand Central terminal building in New York City features lavish marble work and a domed ceiling with 2,500 twinkling stars.

3. 1930 : The Chrysler Building, New York

Architect William Van Alen lavished the 77-story Chrysler Building with automotive ornaments and classic art deco zigzags. Soaring 319 meters / 1,046 feet, the Chrysler Building was the tallest building in the world... for a few months.

4. 1931 : Empire State Building, New York

When it was built, the Empire State Building in New York City broke world records for building height. Reaching a height of 381 meters / 1,250 feet, it rose above the Chrysler Building. Even today, the Empire State Building is nothing to sneeze at, ranking within the top 10 for building height. The designers were architects Shreve, Lamb and Harmon.

5. 1935 : Fallingwater, Pennsylvania, USA