Xavier Jackson
Professor Linda Liu
History of Architecture 201: The Modern Era
May 18, 2025
Movement Toward Modernism
Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, as it is sometimes called, is part of the larger modernist
movement that first made itself known around the turn of the twentieth century. Architecture scholars
debate the exact starting point for architectural modernism, but they all agree that Louis Sullivan, Frank
Lloyd Wright, Otto Wagner, and Antoni Gaudi were some of its early practitioners. The lavish styles of
the earlier, Victorian style of architecture prompted these revolutionary thinkers to strip away
unnecessary details and focus on a building’s essential function.
Driven by social and political changes, as well as innovations in technology and engineering, modernist
architecture continues to shape our built environment. In this paper, I hope to describe some trends in
modernist architecture, starting with the work of Frank Lloyd Wright in the United States, and moving
on through the Bauhaus and International Styles, as well as later developments.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Considered the most important American architect of all time, Frank Lloyd Wright developed a type of
design he called organic architecture, in which harmony between humanity and its environment was
given the highest priority. As Thomas Cohn has demonstrated, the horizontal lines of his mature style
have their roots in the Wisconsin landscape of his youth. He created many types of buildings, including
churches, private homes, schools, hotels, and museums. He was also known for designing his buildings’
interiors, including furniture, stained glass, carpeting, and, in a few cases, the clothing he thought the
buildings’ inhabitants should wear.
Bauhaus Style
The Bauhaus style was developed in the 1920s at a German art school of the same name. Its signature
designs, stripped of ornamentation, eventually led to some of the most important architectural trends
of the modernist era. More than anything else, Bauhaus architects focused on establishing harmony
between a building’s form and function. This was similar to Frank Lloyd Wright’s approach. They sought
to combine old traditions of European craftsmanship with modern, artistic sensibilities. According to
Haley Bowerman, they argued that building was the ultimate goal of all creative endeavors.
International Style
The International style of architecture emerged as a major force in the 1920s and 1930s. Perhaps more
than its precursors, it emphasized designs for urban life. International style buildings tend to be
rectangular, with glass, concrete, and steel surfaces that are completely devoid of ornamentation. In
some cases, the use of cantilever construction makes International style buildings look as if they are
floating above their foundations. Interiors are typically open and filled with light. Architects working in
this style were enthusiastic about the possibilities of machine work in the creative process and took
pains to make a building’s structure an important part of the building’s overall aesthetic statement.
Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, who went by the pseudonym Le Corbusier, was a leading proponent of the
International style. He devoted much of his professional career to creating livable environments for the
urban poor.
