ARCHITECTURE IN THE TWENTIES
For the United States the Twenties was a time to flourish and enjoy the common wealth, but unlike everything else, architecture was in a creative slump. many artists were having difficulty in depicting a "style" for the new era. Many new technological advances were occuring through the steel industry and the discovery of glass. The architects of this period wanted to incorporate those advances in their designs, thus bringing forth an experimental period. With architects from different backgrounds and cultures working to produce a masterpiece the International Style was created.
The International Style was the most common and wide-spread type of architecture found in the twenties. This style dominated architecture until about 1950. Buildings of this time were characterized as having "...geometric shapes, white walls , and a flat roof with a garden," ("Architecture ". World Book CD-ROM). They were constructed of reinforced concrete (concrete with embedded metal rods to add strength). Typical buildings had large windows, which created a light, airy feeling and the exterior had little or no ornamentation. ("Architecture". World Book CD-ROM). Architects were able to acheive the light airy feeling found in the buildings because of the new inventions of industrial materials and the technical advances.
The 1920's brought forth many new technological advances. Builders could now use steel, iron, and glass. Alloys, or blended metals, were discovered and produced, and the elevator was invented. These new materials had great and long lasting influences on modern architecture and are still used today. Architects were able to use steel beams to reinforce concrete, allowing them to build taller structures, known as skyscrappers. Elevators were installed to replace stairs. A gradual modernization of technical systems took place. Plumbing and heating/cooling systems were improved and the use of electricity became more popular. ("Architecture". Grolier CD-ROM). For the architects of the 1920's "climate could be disregarded, for mechanical heating and cooling devices make a building independent of its region...". (Hamlin, 633) Because of these new advances architects were able to experiment with options they were never given before.
Despite the difficulties and dry periods the archtects experienced in the twenties, a new style was born.
Technology played an important role in the daily lives of Americans in the 1920s. Many inventions and new developments occurred during this time. A large number of items that are used today were invented by individuals and teams in research laboratories. This technology brought many conveniences such as electrical power and indoor plumbing into the home. Radios gave people access to the news and provided entertainment. Mass culture was also born and the automobile became the largest consumer product of the decade. By 1929, one in five Americans had an automobile on the road. America experienced a decade of economic growth due to the impact of technology in the 1920s.
The early 1920s, referred to as the Roaring Twenties, were characterized by economic prosperity and tremendous social, artistic, and cultural dynamism.
Life in the 1920s After World War One, the United States went through a decade full of industrial, economical, and social growth. This decade is known as the Roaring 20s. The 1920s was a time of important historical events and technological advancement. The development of consumer goods, such as fridges, typewriters, radios, and cars, created jobs and helped the American economy grow. However, not everyone was able to enjoy the advancement that the boom had assured.
of the 1920’s. The fashion went from everything being the same to having so many different things to choose from.Therefore we can all have a different style to fit our personalities.
In the early twentieth century the Modern movement of architecture and industrial design came about. This movement was a reaction to the change within society and the introduction of new technologies. The ever changing world and technology meant artists to evolve alongside the changing world and this kind of ‘industrial revolution’ that was happening. Modernists ideas have seeped into every form of design especially architecture and design. Although most modernists insisted they were not following any style in particular, their work is instantly
Through out the 1920’s many inventions were created that altered human civilization. Transportation was successfully mastered. Radio communication was becoming more common and medicine was saving more and more lives every day.
The twenties were a time of excitement, World War I had just ended and it was hard for everyone to settle down. After being away from home for such a long time, Coming back and returning to the usual routine seemed too sedate. Young women and men set the stage for an unforgettable party era which was full of new and exciting experience. Some of these new ideas lasted and other and others were just fads that faded or became less popular.
"1920's Art." The 1920's - Roaring Twenties - The Nineteen Twenties in History. 2005. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. .
The usage of concrete was explored by the Early Christian and Roman architects but fell out of use throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance period. The material was only fully explored again in the later half of the 19th century but only for mundane purposes where the material was cheap, easy to work with, and versatile, but most importantly it’s fireproof characteristic. In 1870, the idea of reinforcing the concrete was born; steel rods were to be inserted to increase its strength. Taking this principle, Ernest Ransome (America) and Francois Hennebique (France) both developed frame systems. From this, open plan workspaces with large windows were created and it was proved to be well accommodated where fire had previously been a danger. Hennebique’s system used slim vertical posts, thin parallel beams on brackets and floor slabs; this resulted somewhat like a timber frame. Concrete was one of the most flexible materials and one with a least determining form. Concrete relied on its mould and the intelligence of its designer to give it aesthetic qualities for one to appreciate it. This became much more obvious when the architects of the last 19th century attempted to discover a style based on this material.
However, the success of the building schemes relied on the construction methods and innovations that are now attributed as bei...
Architecture, the practice of building design and its resulting products, customary usage refers only to those designs and structures that are culturally significant. Today the architecture must satisfy its intended uses, must be technically sound, and must convey beautiful meaning. But the best buildings are often so well constructed that they outlast their original use. They then survive not only as beautiful objects, but as documents of history of cultures, achievements in architecture that testify to the nature of the society that produced them. These achievements are never wholly the work of individuals. Architecture is a social art, yet Frank Lloyd Wright single handily changed the history of architecture. How did Frank Lloyd Wright change architecture?
Abstract: Contemporary architects have a wide variety of sources to gain inspiration from, but this has not always been the case. How did modernism effect sources of inspiration? What did post-modernism do to liberate the choice of influences? Now that Contemporary architects have the freedom of choice, how are they using “traditional” styles and materials to inspire them? Even after modernism why are traditional styles still around?
Jencks believes “the glass-and-steel box has become the single most used form in Modern Architecture and it signifies throughout the world ‘office building’” (27). Thus, modern architecture is univalent in terms of form, in other words it is designed around one out of a few basic values using a limited number of materials and right angles. In...
Holt, Elizabeth G. From the Classicist to the Impressionists: Art and Architecture in the 19th Century. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1966.
Human beings are susceptible to the force of nature. They had to make shelter for themselves. Material was one of the most basic tools to create shelter. By development of building construction, selection and use of materials also developed. The relationship between the architecture and the materials before invention of modern materials was simple and generally naturally [1]; in the past, architects always use tradition materials according their experimental skills. For choosing structural materials, they had attention to important factors such as availability (local materials) and harmony with climate and culture [2], although this way was forward with feedback. But this relationship was not continuing simply.