ARCHITECTURE IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE

TWENTIETH CENTURY

•Adolf Loos & Origins of the Modern Façade •Cubism, De Stijl •New Conceptions of Space: The International Style in Archıtecture •Rietveld •Art Deco

Adolf Loos (10 December 1870 –

23 August 1933)

He was one of the most important and influential Austrian and Czechoslovak architects of European Modern architecture. With “Ornament and Crime” and many other essays he contributed to the elaboration of a body of theory and criticism of Modernism in architecture.

Steiner's House 1910

Is one of Loos's most significant and well-known works. Because of its severe and advanced modernity of form it is an example of the phase of transition and anticipation of the language of Rationalism.

ORIGINS OF A MODERN FAÇADE Adolf Loos

Loos believed that, Art Nouveau had to be seen as a superficial and transitory “style.”

A true style for the times would be discovered when ornament was done away with, and essential underlining qualities of form, proportion, clarity and measure were allowed to emerge unadorned.

"In this view certain aspects have been stressed, such as functional coherence, the absence of ornaments, spatial economy, use of the flat roof on the garden side, the reduction of the external image to a pure white shell. All these aspects exerted an unquestionable influence on the stylistic revolution of the postwar years. Loos's design reduces to a trivial search for functional solutions.

Back view from Steiner’s House

o Surprising modernity o Total absence of

decoration on the outside walls

o Use of the curved sheet-metal roof

CUBISM, DE STIJL AND NEW CONCEPTIONS OF SPACE:

THE INTERNATIONAL STYLE IN ARCHITECTURE

• Inspired in the mechanical simplicity and structure to induce a feeling of “mystical harmony of humanity in the universe”.

• The impression that the flat surfaces and segments of the building could be moved at will, simply by sliding them to one side of the cover.

• Another element was the use of continuous Windows and reflective surfaces

• The interior of the International Style building was based on the use of boxes. Simple, clean lines kept the interior of the building structured, but cozy.

• The upper level of the building was designed to be a “universal space”.

• The Schröder House best demonstrated the International Style of architecture, and this architectural style became so popular around the world.

Schröder House

Interior of the Schröder House

• The Rietveld Schröder House constitutes both inside and outside a radical break with all architecture before it.

• Inside there is no static accumulation of rooms, but a dynamic, changeable open zone.

• Like Rietveld's Red and Blue Chair, each component has its own form, position and color.

The Rietveld Schöder House was built in 1924 by Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld.

TRADITIONAL PLAN SCHEME: Traditional ground

floor: it has a central staircase, and around that staircase, kitchen and 3 sit/bedrooms.

UPPER FLOOR/LIVING AREA:

The living area upstairs forms a large open zone.

Mrs Schröder, needed, in the living area, that the design provide a flexible use of the space, either as open or as subdivided.

Rietveld solved it with a system of sliding and revolving panels. When the panels are opened, the living level comprises 3 bedrooms, a bathroom and a living room.

When the panels are opened, the living level comprises 3 bedrooms, a bathroom and a living

room.

The Red Blue Chair

Designed in 1917 by Gerrit Rietveld. It represents one of the first explorations by the De Stijl art movement in three dimensions.

Rietveld joined the De Stijl movement in 1919.

Hoge Stoel Higback Chair, 1919

Stained and painted wood.

Child’s Wheelbarrow, 1923

Painted Wood

Stool 1923-24

Painted Wood

Side Table, 1923

Wood

Gerrit Rietveld

Table Lamp, 1925.

Gerrit Rietveld.

Metal and half painter glass bulb.

Military Side Chair, 1923

Gerrit Rietveld

ZigZag Chair, 1934

Wood.

ART DECO

The period termed "art deco" manifested itself

roughly between the two world wars, or 1920 to 1939

This period of design and style did not just affect architecture, but all of the fine and applied arts as well. Furniture, sculpture, clothing, jewelry and graphic design were all influenced by the Art

Deco style.

•If one is looking for an appropriate word to describe overall Art Deco as a design style, 'Speed' would be the

best word for it.

Art Deco was influenced by the

modern art movements of

Cubism, Futurism, and

Constructivism; however, it also

took some ideas from the ancient

geometrical design styles,

such as Egypt, Assyria and

Persia.

Art Deco of the Chrysler Building,William Van Alen,

New York.

Common themes: So what distinguishes this style from all of the rest? Basically it was a "modernization" of many artistic styles and themes from the past. You can easily detect in many examples of Art Deco the influence of Far and Middle Eastern design, Greek and Roman themes, and even Egyptian and Mayan influence. Modern elements included echoing machine and automobile patterns and shapes such as stylized gears and wheels, or natural elements such as flowers.

Art Deco, Interior,

Ruhlmann

Art Deco Furniture, Chair, Ruhlmann

Armchair designed by Iribe

Cabinet by Jean Dunand and Eugéne Printz

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Editor’s Melissa Cuevas

Briceyda Palafox Yael Medina

Emanuel León

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