Emergence of Modernism

The International Style emerged in the 1920's and 1930's and got its name from a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style. The three principles that were specified in the book were the expression of volume rather than mass, the emphasis on balance rather than preconceived symmetry, and the expulsion of applied ornament. These principles really became the foundation for the modern style.

The four main architects of this period were Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Frank Lloyd Wright played a huge part in the Emergence of Modernism. He designed over 1000 structures. He had two phases Early Wright and Later Wright. His practice started in Oak Park, Illinois. He designed numerous houses throughout his career.

Robie House

Unity Temple

He used public and private areas within the homes. He made sure even the average person got a beautiful home with the environment incorporated into it. 

One of my favorite examples of this period was the Farnsworth house designed by Mies van der Rohe. He designed it for a woman named Edith Farnsworth. The house was made of glass and steel which was very common during this period. It only has one room as it was designed to be a weekend get-away home. The house is currently a museum open to the public.

I really liked Mies van der Rohe's furniture designs. He really emphasized the whole concept of the International Style. His designs were very simple and used a lot of steel and glass.

Walter Gropius' style was unornamented, functional and had an industrial feel to it. He formed the Bauhaus school. It later closed due to economic and political problems.

Current Applications:

I looked at Katie's blog and I liked how she broke it up and talked about each architect individually. It really helped me understand each style. Her current applications were also very interesting and intriguing! I also looked at Nicole's blog and I specifically liked how she described the history of this period, it helped a lot with understanding how it all started. I also liked her current applications!