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Moderne architecture

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Club Moderne,Anaconda,Montana. Designed byFred F. Willson,1937.
1430 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida, on ac. 1940postcard.

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]

Originating in theInternational Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Artsheld inParisin 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 historianRichard Guy Wilsoncharacterized the style by the eclectic co-existence of "traditionalism and modernism".[4]

The Bauhaus movement

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The Bauhaus movement, along with architects likeWalter 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

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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

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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

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The Moderne style of architecture appears as a descriptor in documentation of many buildings listed by the United States of America'sNational 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

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Some Moderne architecture may be classified as Streamline Moderne, an evolution of Art Deco architecture which peaked in popularityc. 1937.This can refer to land-based architecture, such as theNormandie HotelinSan 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 theSSNormandie.Other Streamline Moderne architecture does not reflect any maritime-oriented themes.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^Sharp, Dennis (2002).Twentieth Century Architecture: A Visual History.Images Publishing.ISBN978-1-86470-085-5.
  2. ^"Art Deco",Wikipedia,26 March 2024,retrieved29 March2024
  3. ^"Art Moderne Moulding & Trim Architecture".Mouldings One.Retrieved29 March2024.
  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.JSTOR990627.
  6. ^"Moderne Style 1930 - 1950 | PHMC > Pennsylvania Architectural Field Guide".www.phmc.state.pa.us.Retrieved29 March2024.
  7. ^"Moderne Style 1930 - 1950 | PHMC > Pennsylvania Architectural Field Guide".www.phmc.state.pa.us.Retrieved28 March2024.
  8. ^"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.13 March 2009.