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Modernism reflects simplicity of design and utilitarianism.
Moving beyond rectangular shapes, it embraces cylindrical and
other forms. Modernist skyscrapers began to come into vogue
around 1940. The concept of Modernism was to reject the
past, and seek an aesthetic that was based upon functionalism and
contemporary materials and technology. That said, it must be
acknowledged that there was no unity of agreement on
"one" Modernist approach. In addition to looking
to the present and dismissing historical influences, Modernist
architecture stressed the simple. In art, an example of this
approach is found in Piet Mondrian's work of Des Stijl
paintings.
To
view other styles, click on the links above. For more
examples of Modernism, click on Modernism
2, Modernism 3, Modernism
4 and Modernism 5.
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The 60-story John Hancock Tower in Boston was finished in
1976, and was designed by I.M. Pei. It is made of glass and
steel. It has 10,000 windows, and the highly reflective
nature of the glass was intentional. It helped defuse the
effect on the surrounding neighborhood of this monolithic
structure. It is as if one "sees" the entire
neighborhood reflected in the building, which itself becomes
"invisible." |
The Transamerica Building (known also as the Pyramid) is
one of San Francisco's architectural icons. Completed in
1972, this late modernist structure consists of 48 stories.
Sidney LeBlanc in 20th Century American Architecture
writes: "its design is truly sensible: the pyramid shape
admits far more space, air and light into the area than a bulky
box." The architect was William Pereira. |
All
text and images copyright (c) 1999-2006 Steven M. Richman. All
rights reserved.
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