What is Modern Architecture
Modern architecture came at a time when handcraftsmanship was being replaced by machine-made industrialization. Modern architects worked to reinvent building methods that focused on how people lived rather than what they found beautiful. This architecture is not sentimental like revivalist styles. Instead it is innovative, experimental and minimal.
The modern movement was not short-lived, and it encompasses several sub-styles that span nearly 60 years. In this way, it can be difficult to pinpoint an exact starting point. To some, the style includes more transitional architecture like the Art Deco and Arts and Crafts movements. To others, those earlier styles served as inspiration for more "pure," mid-century modern architects.
The birth of modern design came with the thought that form should follow function. This idea started with architect Louis Sullivan who designed buildings for the 1893 Chicago World Fair. That mantra became the foundation for modern architects.
Other popular pioneers of modern architecture include Frank Lloyd Wright, Staatliches Bauhaus, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier.
The modern design aesthetic was in full swing in the 1930s and became known as International Modernism or International Style. This design aesthetic came after an architecture exhibit by Philip Johnson in 1932.
In general, the most well-known examples of modern architecture end around the mid 20th century, but the design style still influences buildings well into the late 20th century.