Modernism is the broad architectural movement of the early twentieth century that deliberately breaks with historical styles and rebuilds architecture from function, structure and new materials. Ornament is rejected, the plan follows use, and the structure is allowed to show.
Its rise is tied directly to industrialisation. Reinforced concrete, steel and large sheets of glass made it possible to separate the load-bearing function from the facade. Once a wall no longer had to carry, it could open up. That technical fact is the engine behind the whole movement.
Characteristics
- Form follows function. The plan is developed from how the building is used; the facade is the result, not the starting point
- Frame construction. Columns and beams of concrete or steel carry the loads; the facade becomes a non-loadbearing infill
- Free plan and free facade. Internal walls can go anywhere, windows can run as continuous bands
- Flat roofs and horizontal, landscape-format windows
- No ornament. Material, colour and proportion replace decoration
- Light, air and space. A social programme: healthy dwellings with daylight and ventilation for everyone
Strands and examples
Modernism is an umbrella, not a single style. Under it sit, among others:
| Strand | Core idea |
|---|---|
| De Stijl | Dutch movement from 1917; planes, primary colours, right angles |
| Bauhaus | German school (1919-1933); design, craft and industrial production united |
| Nieuwe Zakelijkheid | The Dutch strand: sober, light, functional |
| Functionalism | Usability as the governing design principle |
| International Style | The globally exported, white-rendered version of the 1930s |
Landmark buildings include the Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht (1924, a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam (also World Heritage), and the Bauhaus building in Dessau.
A note on renovating early modernist buildings
Anyone altering such a house runs into practical issues. Early concrete frames often have very little cover to the reinforcement, so the steel can corrode. Slender steel windows are hard to insulate and form significant cold bridges. Flat roofs from that period are rarely insulated. And where the building is listed, consent is needed before changing the facade or the detailing.
Points to check when renovating an early modernist building
- Concrete frame: Early frames often have very little cover to the reinforcement, so the steel can corrode.
- Steel windows: Slender steel windows are hard to insulate and form significant cold bridges.
- Flat roof: Flat roofs from that period are rarely insulated.
- Listed status: Where the building is listed, consent is needed before changing the facade or the detailing.
Related terms
- Functionalism
- Bauhaus
- Minimalism
- Brutalism
- Art deco
- Frame construction
- Listed building
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