Modern Movement

Theory
Introduction to Modern Architecture
 Introduction

Modern architecture or modernist architecture is

a term applied to a group of styles of architecture
which emerged in the first half of the 20th century and
became dominant after World War II.

Developed with Industrial revolution and rapid

technological advancement and the modernization of
Harvard Graduate School of Design the society.
by Walter Gropius

It was based upon new material, particularly the use of

glass, steel and reinforced concrete.

A Rejection of the traditional neoclassical architecture

and Beaux-Arts styles that were popular in the 19th
century.
Crown Hall at the Illinois Institute of
Technology, Chicago
Characteristics of Modern Architecture:

 Form follows function

meaning that the result of design should derive directly from its purpose.

 Simplicity and clarity of forms

and elimination of "unnecessary detail"

 Visual expression of structure

as opposed to the hiding of structural elements

 Truth to materials
meaning that the true nature or natural appearance of a material ought to be seen
rather than concealed or altered to represent something else.

 Use of industrially-produced materials

adoption of the machine aesthetic

modernists wanted to reinvent architecture.

Modernist building design
Features:

1. Rectangular or cubist shapes

2. Minimal or no Ornamentation
3. Steel and reinforced Concrete
4. Large windows
5. Open plan.
 19th century Revolution in Technology

Modern architecture emerged at the end of the 19th century from

revolutions in technology, engineering and building materials, and from
a desire to break away from historical architectural styles and to invent
something that was purely functional and new.
The revolution in materials came first, with the use of cast iron, plate
glass, and reinforced concrete, to build structures that were stronger,
lighter and taller.
A further important step forward was the invention of the
safety elevator by Elisha Otis, first demonstrated at the Crystal Palace
exposition in 1852, which made tall office and apartment buildings
practical.

Another important technology for the new architecture was electric

light, which greatly reduced the inherent danger of fires caused by gas
in the 19th century.
The debut of new materials and techniques inspired architects to break
away from the neoclassical and eclectic models that dominated
European and American architecture in the late 19th century, most
notably eclecticism, Victorian and Edwardian architecture, and
the Beaux-Arts architectural style.[7]
 Modernist building Origin:

First steel-framed
skyscraper, the ten-
story Home Insurance
Building in Chicago,
built in 1884 by William
Le Baron Jenney

The Crystal Palace by Joseph Paxton at the

Great Exhibition of 1851 was an early example
of iron and plate glass construction
 The iron frame construction
of the Eiffel Tower, then the
tallest structure in the
world, captured the
imagination of millions of
visitors to the 1889 Paris
Universal Exposition.
Modern Movements Famous Architects:
Chicago school Louis Henry Sullivan
(1856 –1924)
Bauhaus
Frank Lloyd Wright
Eclectism (1867 –1959)
Art and craft Walter Gropius
movement (1883-1969)
Art Nouveau Ludwig Mies van der
Rohe (1886 –1969)

Le Corbusier
(1887-1965)

Geoffrey Bawa
(1919 – 2003)
 Modern Architecture Masters

Home Insurance Building in Chicago

Louis Henry Sullivan

 an American architect, and has been called the “father of
skyscrapers” and “prophet of modern architecture”
 Conceived the most famous phrase ever to come out of
his profession, “form follows function”
 Sullivan’s architecture is a mixture of plain geometry and
undisguised massing punctuated with elaborate pockets
of ornamentation in stone, wood and terra cotta.
 Modern Architecture Masters
Fallingwater

Frank Lloyd Wright

 never attended architecture school; Wright studied engineering
 apprenticed with J.L. Silsbee and Louis Sullivan
 designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 532 works
 believed in designing structures which were in harmony with Considered by some as the most famous
humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic private house ever built, Fallingwater
architecture epitomizes man living in harmony with
nature.
 Modern Architecture Masters
Seagram Building
Seagram Building

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

 one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture
 He called his buildings "skin and bones" architecture
 Emphasized on open spaces and use of industrial
material in construction
 associated with the aphorisms, "less is more" and
"God is in the details"

Constructed with travertine,

marble, and 1,500 tons of bronze,
the Seagram Building was the
most expensive skyscraper of its
time.
 Modern Architecture Masters

Seagram Building
Villa Savoye

Le Corbusier
 laid the foundation for the International Style
 innovative urban planner; best known for his low income
housing ; dedicated to providing better living conditions for
the residents of crowded cities
 quoted "By law, all buildings should be white.“ because he
believed stark, unornamented buildings he designed would
contribute to clean, bright, healthy cities
The villa is representative of the bases of
modern architecture, and is one of the most
easily recognizable and renowned examples
of the International style.
Thank you