Modernist architects and designers rejected the old style of designing based on natural form and materials. They believed in 'the machine aesthetic', which celebrated new technology, mechanised industry and modern materials that symbolised the new 21st century. Modernist designers rejected decorative motifs in design and the embellishment of surfaces with 'art', preferring to emphasise the materials used and pure geometric forms.
Le Corbusier thought that buildings should function as "machines for living in", similar to cars, which he saw as machines for travelling in.
The skyscraper, such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Seagram Building in New York (1956 – 1958 shown right), became the representative modernist building.
Modernist design of houses and furniture also typically emphasized simplicity and clarity of form, open-plan interiors, and the absence of clutter.
Modernist principles spread throughout Europe with groups including De Stijl in the Netherlands, Bauhaus in Germany, Constructivism in Russia and Futurism in Italy.
Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe adopted the motto "less is more' to describe his minimalist aesthetic of flattening and emphasising the building's frame, eliminating interior walls and adopting 'open plan' living spaces. |
