Modern

Architecture
 What is Architecture?
Architecture is the art and science of designing
buildings. Architectural works are often thought of as
cultural and political symbols and as works of art.

Historical civilizations
are often identified with
their surviving
architectural
achievements.
Architectural
Styles
 Organic Architecture
Organic architecture is a philosophy
of architecture which promotes
harmony between human habitation
and the natural world.

The term “Organic architecture” was

first created by the great American
architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–
1959), who is still the most famous
designer to work in this style.
Fallingwater – Mill Run, Pennsylvania – Frank Lloyd Wright - 1937
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is a style of art and architecture
that was most popular during 1890–
1910, primarily in Europe. This style was
inspired by natural forms and structures, not
only in flowers and plants, but also in curved
lines.

Probably the most famous person to work in

this style was Antoni Gaudí, a Catalan
architect whose work can be seen in many
places in Barcelona, Spain.
Casa Milà - Barcelona, Spain - Antoni Gaudí - 1912
Sagrada Família – Barcelona, Spain – Antoni Gaudi – 1883-2026
Art Deco
Art Deco is an eclectic artistic and design style that
began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished
internationally throughout the 1930s, into the
World War II era. Art deco's linear symmetry was a
distinct departure from the flowing asymmetrical
organic curves of its predecessor style Art Nouveau.
It was influenced by many different styles of the
early twentieth century, and also drew inspiration
from ancient Egyptian and Aztec buildings.
Rockefeller Center – New York, NY
- Raymond Hood – 1939
The U-Drop Inn – Shamrock, Texas – J.C. Berry – 1936
 International style
The International style was a major
architectural style that emerged in the 1920s
and 1930s. It is more focused on efficiency
than on decoration. While the International
style is not popular with many critics, it has
become so common today that many people
think of it as no style at all.

Skyscrapers in the International style have a

square or rectangular footprint, are covered
with glass windows on the outside, and have
faces at 90-degree angles.
The Seagram Building – New
York, NY – Ludwig Mies van
der Rohe – 1958
Mid-Century modern
Mid-Century modern is an
architectural, style taken from mid-20th
century developments in modern design
from roughly 1933 to 1965. This style
combines many elements of the earlier
styles, like the Art Deco, with curved lines
and symmetry, and combines them with
some of the simplicity of the
International style.
National Congress of Brazil – Brasília, Brazil - Oscar Niemeyer – 1957
Stahl House – Los Angeles, California – Pierre Koenig – 1959
Palácio da Alvorada – Brasília, Brazil - Oscar Niemeyer – 1958
 Postmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture began as an
international style the first examples of which
are generally cited as being from the 1950s, but
did not become a movement until the late
1970s.

In Postmodern architecture, the

simple, functional shapes of the modernist style
are replaced by diverse aesthetics: styles
collide, form is adopted for its own sake, and
new ways of viewing familiar styles are found.
The EMP Museum – Seattle, Washington – Frank Gehry – 2000
8 Spruce
Street

New York, NY

Frank Gehry

2011
Auditorio de Tenerife – Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain – Santiago Calatrava Valls – 2003
 What do you think?
• Which of these architectural styles do you like
the best?
• What do you think of new buildings that are
made to look like buildings from the past?
• Do you think that architects should start using
traditional styles from your culture in their
work?
Famous Buildings
Empire State Building

New York, NY - William F. Lamb -

1931
King Kong - 1933
Taipei 101

Taipei, Taiwan
Burj Khalifa
Dubai, U.A.E.
 Burj Khalifa

Construction started: January,2004

Completed: 2010
Cost$1.5 billion
Height: 829.84 m (2,723 ft)
163 habitable floors
46 maintenance levels
30 St Mary Axe
London, England
Transamerica
Pyramid
San Francisco, California
Space Needle
Seattle, Washington
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Los Angeles, California
 What do you think?
• Do your surroundings affect the way you feel?
• What do you think about the buildings in this
city? What do they say about this place?
• What do you think about the interior design of
this school? Have you noticed that is has a
particular style?
• If you had your choice, would you like to live
in a modern steel and glass building, or an old-
fashioned wood and brick house?