The dawn of modern architecture came when hand-labored craftsmanship was replaced with machine-made industrialization.
Thispopular architecturalstyle is not sentimental, like revivalist styles.
Instead, it is innovative, experimental, and minimal.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
A modern building was designed to exhibit its most basic function and practicality to support the human experience.
Learn more about the dawn of modern architecture and how to recognize its most identifiable characteristics.
What Is Modern Architecture?
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
Modern architecture, often seen through the 1970s, usually involves sharp, clean lines.
History of Modern Architecture
The modern movement was long-lived, encompassing several sub-styles spanning nearly 60 years.
In this way, it can be tough to pinpoint an exact starting point.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
To some, the style includes more transitional architecture, like theArt DecoandArts and Crafts movements.
To others, those earlier styles served as inspiration for more “pure,” midcentury modern architects.
The birth of modern design came with the premise that form should follow function.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
This idea started with architect Louis Sullivan who designed buildings for the 1893 Chicago World Fair.
That mantra became the foundation for modern architects.
This design aesthetic came after an architecture exhibit by Philip Johnson in 1932.
This evolution brought on more contemporary designs that worked to incorporate ornamentation and color.
In a contemporary home, you could have an open-concept floor plan and private spaces.
Ideology of Modern Architecture
Modern homes were revolutionary in that they embraced the concept of free-flowing space.
From 1930 through 1970, categories included Expressionist, Constructivist, and Midcentury Modern, to name a few.
Here are a few of the most popular types of modern architecture.
There was still some use for ornamentation and beauty but for a purpose.
For instance, Frank Lloyd Wright incorporated art glass windows into buildings so that no additional artwork was needed.
Ornamentation was reintroduced, and its eclectic lines continue today.
Here are a few examples of buildings designed by modern architects:
Modern vs.
Contemporary Architecture
Modern and contemporary architectural stylesare different though many view them as the same.
A modern building or home clearly and visually conveys its use and intention without ornamentation.
The eclectic, whimsical, and colorful Postmodernist architectural style was a reaction to austere modern architecture.
Postmodern architecture appeared in the 1970s and evolved into theMemphis Design stylein the 1980s.
