Moderne architecture

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Club Moderne, Anaconda, Montana. Designed by Fred F. Willson, 1937. Club Moderne, Anaconda, Montana.jpg
Club Moderne, Anaconda, Montana. Designed by Fred F. Willson, 1937.
1430 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, on a c. 1940 postcard. "1430 Ocean Drive - Miami Beach, Florida" (10943962224).jpg
1430 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, on a c.1940 postcard.

Moderne architecture, also sometimes referred to as Style Moderne or simply Moderne, Jazz Age, Moderne, [1] Jazz Modern or Jazz style, describes certain styles of architecture popular from 1925 through the 1940s. It is closely related to Art Deco. [2] Both belong to the architectural Modern Movement, which broke with tradition on purpose to create a fresh look that was uninfluenced by earlier forms and styles. [3]

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Originating in the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris in 1925, the style has expression in styles traditionally classified as Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, Late Moderne, and, in the U.S., PWA/WPA Moderne. Architectural historian Richard Guy Wilson characterized the style by the eclectic co-existence of "traditionalism and modernism". [4]

The Bauhaus movement

The Bauhaus movement, along with architects like Walter Gropius and Mies Van Der Rohe, Kickstarted Modernist architecture in Germany during the 1920s. After the Nazis shut down the Bauhaus in 1933, these architects brought their innovative style to the United States, where it became hugely popular and influential.

Art Deco and Moderne architecture

Barbizon Apartment Hotel Miami Beach - Barbizon Apartment Hotel.jpg
Barbizon Apartment Hotel

Even though they have different aesthetics, the Art Deco and Moderne styles are both occasionally referred to as "Modernistic". A new, more streamlined, less decorated architectural style, [5] the Moderne style of the 1930s was inspired by the Art Deco style, which had smoothly finished wall surfaces and characteristic ornamentation of chevrons, zigzags, and other geometrical motifs.

Characteristics of Moderne Architecture

The Moderne style included rounded corners, curved glass, and smooth walls with minimal surface decoration. [6] Moderne architecture features bands of windows with a horizontal emphasis and flat roofs. [7] Certain structures in this style feature curving canopies, glass block window panels, straightforward pipe balustrades, and stainless steel or aluminum details.

United States

The Moderne style of architecture appears as a descriptor in documentation of many buildings listed by the United States of America's National Register of Historic Places. [8] In general, there are not many examples of the Moderne style in the United States. It was popular for a comparatively short time until the International style for major commercial buildings swiftly took its place.

Streamline Moderne

Some Moderne architecture may be classified as Streamline Moderne, an evolution of Art Deco architecture which peaked in popularity c.1937. This can refer to land-based architecture, such as the Normandie Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which show curved, shiplike forms and styling. This follows the water-based adaptation of Art Deco decorative style and architecture to passenger ships, such as the SS Normandie. Other Streamline Moderne architecture does not reflect any maritime-oriented themes.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Deco</span> 20th-century architectural and art style

Art Deco, short for the French Arts décoratifs, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in Paris in the 1910s, and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920s to early 1930s. Through styling and design of the exterior and interior of anything from large structures to small objects, including how people look, Art Deco has influenced bridges, buildings, ships, ocean liners, trains, cars, trucks, buses, furniture, and everyday objects including radios and vacuum cleaners.

<i>Jugendstil</i> Artistic movement; German equivalent of Art Nouveau

Jugendstil was an artistic movement, particularly in the decorative arts, that was influential primarily in Germany and elsewhere in Europe to a lesser extent from about 1895 until about 1910. It was the German counterpart of Art Nouveau. The members of the movement were reacting against the historicism and neo-classicism of the official art and architecture academies. It took its name from the art journal Jugend, founded by the German artist Georg Hirth. It was especially active in the graphic arts and interior decoration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modern architecture</span> Architectural movement and style

Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, was an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architecture was based upon new and innovative technologies of construction ; the principle functionalism ; an embrace of minimalism; and a rejection of ornament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streamline Moderne</span> Late type of the Art Deco architecture and design

Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design, it was used in railroad locomotives, telephones, toasters, buses, appliances, and other devices to give the impression of sleekness and modernity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts</span> Specialized exhibition held in Paris, France, in 1925

The International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts was a specialized exhibition held in Paris, France, from April to October 1925. It was designed by the French government to highlight the new modern style of architecture, interior decoration, furniture, glass, jewelry and other decorative arts in Europe and throughout the world. Many ideas of the international avant-garde in the fields of architecture and applied arts were presented for the first time at the exposition. The event took place between the esplanade of Les Invalides and the entrances of the Grand Palais and Petit Palais, and on both banks of the Seine. There were 15,000 exhibitors from twenty different countries, and it was visited by sixteen million people during its seven-month run. The modern style presented at the exposition later became known as "Art Deco", after the exposition's name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Chennai</span> Architectural style

Chennai architecture is a confluence of many architectural styles. From ancient Tamil temples built by the Pallavas, to the Indo-Saracenic style of the colonial era, to 20th-century steel and chrome of skyscrapers. Chennai has a colonial core in the port area, surrounded by progressively newer areas as one travels away from the port, punctuated with old temples, churches and mosques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami Beach Architectural District</span> U.S. historic district in Miami Beach, Florida

The Miami Beach Architectural District is a U.S. historic district located in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida. The area is well known as the district where Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace lived and was assassinated by Andrew Cunanan, in a mansion on Ocean Drive. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Sixth Street to the south, Alton Road to the west and the Collins Canal and Dade Boulevard to the north. It contains 960 historic buildings.

Harry Norris was an Australian architect, one of the more prolific and successful in Melbourne in the interwar period, best known for his 1930s Art Deco commercial work in the Melbourne central business district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campana Factory</span> United States historic place

The Campana Factory is a historic building in Batavia, Illinois. It was built in 1936 to serve as a factory for The Campana Company, which produced Italian Balm, the most popular hand lotion in the United States during The Great Depression. The Streamline Moderne and Bauhaus building features many innovative technologies, such as air conditioning. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daily Express Building, Manchester</span> Building in Manchester, England

The Daily Express Building, located on Great Ancoats Street, Manchester, England, is a Grade II* listed building which was designed by engineer Sir Owen Williams. It was built in 1939 to house one of three Daily Express offices; the other two similar buildings are located in London and Glasgow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erie Federal Courthouse</span> Building in Pennsylvania, United States

The Erie Federal Courthouse and Post Office, also known as Erie Federal Courthouse, in Erie, Pennsylvania, is a complex of buildings that serve as a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and house other federal functions. The main courthouse building was built in 1937 in Moderne architecture style. It served historically as a courthouse, as a post office, and as a government office building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Alen Building</span> Residential apartment block in Brighton, United Kingdom

The Van Alen Building is a modern apartment and penthouse block on the seafront in Brighton, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. It was named after William Van Alen, the architect of New York City's Chrysler Building and is designed as a 21st-century interpretation of the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles. It was completed in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yule House</span>

Yule House is a five-story office building situated at 309-311 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia. It was constructed in 1932 from a design by Melbourne-based architecture firm, Oakley & Parkes. Yule House was one of Melbourne’s first commercial buildings to exhibit the Streamline Moderne style of architecture and began the style's rise in popularity throughout the 1930s. The current Yule House stands as a redesigned fireproof replacement of the original, which was destroyed by fire in 1931. William Yule had been the owner of the land since the early 1900s and it remained part of his estate until 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Indies architecture</span> Architectural style in Dutch East Indies

New Indies Style is a modern architectural style used in the Dutch East Indies between the late 19th century through pre-World War II 20th century. New Indies Style is basically early modern (western) architecture, which applies local architectural elements such as wide eaves or prominent roof as an attempt to conform with the tropical climate of Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Deco in the United States</span> Architectural style popular in the 1920s-1930s

The Art Deco style, which originated in France just before World War I, had an important impact on architecture and design in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. The most notable examples are the skyscrapers of New York City, including the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, and Rockefeller Center. It combined modern aesthetics, fine craftsmanship, and expensive materials, and became the symbol of luxury and modernity. While rarely used in residences, it was frequently used for office buildings, government buildings, train stations, movie theaters, diners and department stores. It also was frequently used in furniture, and in the design of automobiles, ocean liners, and everyday objects such as toasters and radio sets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Cinema, Portobello</span> Former cinema in Scotland

The George Cinema is a former Art Deco cinema on Bath Street in Portobello, Edinburgh. The building opened in 1939 as the County Cinema. For many years, a bingo hall, it is a Category C listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muscats Motors</span> Showroom in Gżira, Malta

The Muscats Motors showroom, belonging to a car dealership of the same name, is a building located in Gżira, Malta. It was designed by Joseph Colombo in the Streamline Moderne style, and it is the only building of that style in Malta. It was constructed in around 1945 on the site of an earlier garage which had been destroyed in World War II. Today, the building is in good condition and it still serves its original purpose as a showroom.

Pierre Patout (1879-1965) was a French architect and interior designer, who was one of the major figures of the Art Deco movement, as well as a pioneer of Streamline Moderne design. His works included the design of the main entrance and the Pavillion d'un Collecteur at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925, and the interiors of the ocean liner Normandie and other French transatlantic liners in the 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Deco in Paris</span> Movement of architecture and design appearing about 1910-12

The Art Deco movement of architecture and design appeared in Paris in about 1910–12, and continued until the beginning of World War II in 1939. It took its name from the International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris in 1925. It was characterized by bold geometric forms, bright colors, and highly stylized decoration, and it symbolized modernity and luxury. Art Deco architecture, sculpture, and decoration reached its peak at 1939 Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne, and in movie theaters, department stores, other public buildings. It also featured in the work of Paris jewelers, graphic artists, furniture craftsmen, and jewelers, and glass and metal design. Many Art Deco landmarks, including the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Palais de Chaillot, can be seen today in Paris.

References

  1. Sharp, Dennis (2002). Twentieth Century Architecture: A Visual History. Images Publishing. ISBN   978-1-86470-085-5.
  2. "Art Deco", Wikipedia, 26 March 2024, retrieved 29 March 2024
  3. "Art Moderne Moulding & Trim Architecture". Mouldings One. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  4. Wilson, Richard Guy (2002). Buildings of Virginia: Tidewater and Piedmont. Oxford University Press. p. 519. Oxford University Press. p. 519.
  5. Bohan, Peter (September 1991). "Cowtown Moderne: Art Deco Architecture of Fort Worth, Texas Judith Singer Cohen". Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. 50 (3): 332–333. doi:10.2307/990627. JSTOR   990627.
  6. "Moderne Style 1930 - 1950 | PHMC > Pennsylvania Architectural Field Guide". www.phmc.state.pa.us. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  7. "Moderne Style 1930 - 1950 | PHMC > Pennsylvania Architectural Field Guide". www.phmc.state.pa.us. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  8. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. 13 March 2009.