Modernism in architecture and art is sometimes confused with modern. This misconception is understandable, since it proceeds from ordinary logic: the words with the same root indicate approximately the same thing, but in practice the situation is different. Art Nouveau is a term that defines the historical period in the context of art, while modernism is a very definite direction, which is characterized not so much by special details, but by a rejection of the experience and accents of past years.
It can and should be considered not only as an architectural, but also a historical phenomenon. By and large, it was a litmus test that reacted to everything that happened not only in the world and society as a whole, but also in the minds of individuals. Modernism is a style of perception of life, a symbol of the hopes of that time.
Where from?
The term itself originates from Italian, where the word modernismo translates as "modern trend." In general, languages in this sense are surprisingly united - the French word moderne has the same meaning, and the English word modern.
The appearance of modernism was provoked by the desire to switch to a qualitatively new standard of living in all its manifestations. The new century and new technologies gave rise to the cult of science in its hypertrophied form, which can be traced in the same "Engineer Garin's Hyperboloid." The population of Europe in the 20s of the XX century renounced the heritage of past years and radically updated the styles in architecture.
According to historians, the development of modernism received an impetus due to revolutions, both in the political arena and in the minds of people. In addition, the new direction was a reaction to the excess of pathos, old-fashionedness and simplicity that were inherent in the same Victorian style. The catalyst for development was technological advances that allowed the use of materials previously unavailable in the creation process due to the primitiveness of the production process.
Start
The ideological beginning of modernism was laid in the middle of the century before last. The process was very difficult: it depended on trifles, at first glance far from architecture. This period in history was marked by a surge in industrial development. A lot of people went to work in large cities: due to the influx of new citizens, housing began to be sorely lacking, new buildings were hastily built in which apartments were rented to new arrivals. They were in no hurry to decorate the buildings with pretentious aesthetics expressed in monograms, preferring sustained asceticism. In other words, the architecture of the second half of the 19th century pursued exclusively practical benefits.
The basic tenets of modernism
Trifles can be sought indefinitely, so we focus on key points.
- Architectural modernism is created using the most fashionable, most modern consumables, and designs differ in a bizarre, non-standard form. Long live the revolution of industrialization! Buildings are made of glass, metal and concrete. Due to the fact that the majority of enterprises producing classic bricks had too little knowledge about the same iron, many of them went bankrupt, failing to join a new wave.
- The organization of the internal space focuses primarily on functionality. Rationality is paramount in the first half of the nineteenth century. Buildings for people, not people for buildings - everything is subordinated to the convenience of man striving in the New Age.
- A complete renunciation of decorative elements that resonate with the experience of past years. In general, the concept of "embellishment" is relegated as unworthy of a new era, strict purity is praised.
- The absence of a national bias, expressed in the specifics of the construction of the building or its design, the future is one for all.
The origins
Modernism in architecture is perceived as a synonym for modernity, but this is not true, if only because its times were left behind, frozen in the eighties of the last century. At the same time, this direction is not integral - because of its subjectivity and diversity, it has generated a number of branches that differ from each other.
- Natural architecture. Otherwise, it is called organic. From the name itself it becomes clear what purpose this direction pursues, but there are some “buts”. Adherents emphasize the natural, soft forms inherent in the objects of the surrounding world, while the materials used in construction are not always limited to "stone and wood." The main thing is that the resources are safe, the forms are biological, and the landscapes are natural.
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Bauhaus. Functionality in its purest form. Flashy-bare buildings, a complete lack of decorative elements, a combination of convenience and utilitarianism is identical to beauty.
- Art Deco. When studying the direction of modernism, one cannot but note that this is the brightest, the most challenging. The style plays in contrast with the Bauhaus, based on bold geometry, eclecticism, strict regularity (place and time correspond to each room and object), courage of forms and unbridled craving for luxury, expressed in the most daring materials from ivory to crocodile skin.
- Brutalism. It is expressed in dry technicality, lack of surface treatment of buildings. Just the case when the name fully reflects the essence.
- Internationalism. The main idea is to abandon any cultural heritage.
- Rationalism and constructivism. The main styles in the architecture of the USSR, we will consider them in more detail below.
Materials and examples
The style of modernism in architecture began to develop under the influence of improvements in the technology of manufacturing new materials. So, for example, this direction owes its birth to the gardener Joseph Monier, who created reinforced concrete. It is interesting that this happened by chance: initially he planned to simply make containers for plants that would satisfy all his needs.
The structures that were built from this concrete were characterized by unprecedented lightness, one might even say airiness against the background of the usual bulky structures.
At first he found application in industrial construction (not bad for material that was originally supposed to be a tub, right?), After which he moved into the field of erection of residential buildings. Thanks to this, works of architecture, amazing for that time, were born that amazed the audience with their scope.
The lightness and strength of reinforced concrete improved modernism. The style of architecture from that moment turned into a worldview: it allowed to erect apron ceilings at stations, rooms with stunning spans in size and much more. It is worth to give as an example the Crystal Palace in London, the Brooklyn Bridge and, of course, the Dancing House in Prague. Here you need to talk about him separately.
Will we dance?
This composition consists of two parts in the form of cylinders - one of them is made in the classical style, and the second in the destructive. The house is called a dancer because it resembles a dancing woman with its outlines - a figure with a thin waist and a waving skirt creates the illusion of movement. Needless to say, the structure contrasts sharply with the classic houses standing next to it.
Soviet Union
Modernism in architecture has not passed our state. He showed himself most vividly in the twenties of the last century, expressing himself in the directions of rationalism and constructivism. Let's consider each of them.
Rationalism
The term translated from Latin means "reasonable", and that’s it. Its appearance was due to all the same technical progress. The aesthetic demands of people have changed in Russia too - monograms have given way to laconic forms, each of which carried a specific function. The abundance of space, simplicity, practicality, striving for the absolute, no "beauty for the sake of beauty." Modernism of the 20th century used other methods of influencing human perception. It should be noted that this direction is more “lively” than constructivism that replaced it: rationalism tried to give the buildings smooth, pleasant to perceive lines and shapes.
Any phenomenon, as a rule, is tied to personalities; this cup and this style have not passed. The architect and teacher Nikolai Ladovsky became the ideological inspirer and leader of the direction. Even his definition of architecture was permeated with the work of his whole life: he wrote that architecture operates with space, and space is the center of everything that the adherents of rationalism wanted to say. At the same time, the achievements of past years were not denied, but adopted and processed in accordance with the idea. This direction is an important step in the formation of a new image of Soviet architecture, despite the fact that it turned out to be less popular than constructivism, which stepped on his heels.
Constructivism
This is a design work that highlighted the modernism of the 20th century from the general series. This direction can be considered the apotheosis of practicality and the last word of technology.
Adherents of constructivism, unlike rationalists, put building functionality at the forefront, while neglecting the convenience of people. Everything was dedicated to the great goal of translating progressive ideas. The past achievements are vehemently denied, something new, radically different, is being created.
In practice, this was expressed in the notorious communal houses (in the common people "communal apartments"), which nullified the possibility of privacy: tiny rooms, shared baths with showers, shared kitchens. Everything is subject to strict logic and regularities. Everything was perfect on paper, but non-functional in everyday life.
In general, the styles of Russian architecture of that time pursued one goal - to step into the future as soon as possible, to throw off the bonds of the past stagnant years and to accompany each step with modern practicality, sustained by the purity of lines.
Modernity
To date, there is no single fashionable style that would be used in the construction of buildings. Large-scale permissiveness allowed me to go into all seriousness - now everyone is building as he sees. However, from the whole variety, the following modern styles of architecture can still be distinguished:
- High-tech - an ode to technological progress, an active contrast of naturalness.
- Bio-tech is an ode to nature, the exact opposite of the first point: smooth natural lines, imitation of a living organism.
- Postmodernism is an ode to historical eclecticism and bizarre forms, a challenge to modernism in all its glory.
- Kitsch is an ode to madness and bad taste. Grotesque, exaggeration of details. Aesthetics is secondary, the main thing is to challenge society and stand out from the crowd.
