The Emergence of Modernism - Chapter 21

Modernism was meant to be a purposeful movement forward with how buildings and furniture were formed and how they were made. Germany began as the hub for this movement as big "pioneers" of the movement came out of this. This movement was interesting in that during the time the economy was not as prosperous and there was a significant amount of political unrest. Modernism happened to be during the time of World War I, World War II, and the Industrial Revolution. The movement looks to the present and the future and rejects historicism.

Functionalism was the term used to describe this movement because of the techniques used. This meant artworks, architecture, interiors, and furniture were seen as practical with no ornamentation. Most of these products were easy to manufacturer as well. Even "The Machine" became an inspiration for this movement's works such as bicycle's handles.

Walter Gropius was one of the "founding fathers" for this design style. Gropius was a professor and educator that looked to the appreciation of ALL arts. He created the Bauhaus, a school that honored this belief and meant to create a more holistic approach to design. The Bauhaus was a great center for education that offered opportunities to men, women, and minorities. This school became known worldwide and many of the professors who taught there were known worldwide themselves. Unfortunately, conflict in 1933 closed the Bauhaus school and many of the students and professors were dispersed.

The International Style also happened to have an impact on this era. It is defined by the Getty Research Institute as "the style of architecture that emerged in Holland, France, and Germany after World War I and spread throughout the world, becoming the dominant architectural style until the 1970s. The style is characterized by an emphasis on volume over mass, the use of lightweight, mass-produced, industrial materials, rejection of all ornament and color, repetitive modular forms, and the use of flat surfaces, typically alternating with areas of glass (Wikipedia)."

Many other architects, designers, and professors were seen as role models for this movement: Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Marcel Breuer, Wassily Kandinsky, and Alvar Aalto.

Modernism blossomed around the world in and with new forms and meanings. This would lead to unintended consequences but would ultimately change how we view design today with popular references and technology incorporated into modernist design.

Design Examples:

The Bauhaus School of Design founded by Walter Gropius.

Artek Aalto Paimio Armchair 41 designed by Alvar Aalto.

Current Applications:

The living room interior that resembles furniture and
design aspects of Modernism. 

A home office that has furniture reflecting the
ideals of Modernism. 

One Step Further: 

Le Corbusier was a great designer of this period and became known as one of the "pioneers" for Modernism. He did not have a formal education of architecture or design, but worked for Peter Behrens and Josef Hoffmann. He became most known for his urban design and wanted to improve the industrialized urban cities such as Paris, France.

 Le Corbusier had a three pronged philosophy about modern furniture: should strive to be a "standard unit," it should act as an artificial limb, and should make use of modern technology. Le Corbusier's ideals on his design was that the design needed to be functional, made use of modular storage pieces, used mass production as a method of construction, made use of concrete / modern materials, included art. Many of these ideals led to how we view commercial design today. 

The Ronchamp chapel in France designed by Le Corbusier. 

A stairwell in Villa Savoy also in France built by Le Corbusier.