Week 10: Modernism in America

Modernism in America was different then in Europe even though many of the same designers and architects made an impact on both continents.  Modernism really blossomed after World War II and the style became much more simplified.  The style originated in Germany and France.  One of the most well-known, American designers that showed modernism in his structures was Frank Lloyd Wright.  He made a huge impact and still has many of his buildings standing in today's society. International style is what his early works were, but when he came back from studying in Japan his style became more modern and you can see some prime examples in the La Miniatura house in California and in the Falling Waters house located in Pennsylvania.  Popular materials that can be seen through many of the popular modern designs are glass, steel, stone, brick, and wood.  Not only did the materials get more simplified and natural, but the concept plans became more open so people could be connected more, and yet do different tasks in different sections of the room.

The image on the left is La Miniature which was designed by Frank Llyod Wright with a Japanese inspired style and the image right is the Kaufman House in Palm Springs designed by Richard Neutra.

The image on the left is a current application of modernism in a living room.  They have steel beams used to incase the glass that is used to let in the natural light, and you can also see the natural material of rock on the wall that helps add texture and character to the room.  The image on right is a modern style bathroom, with lots of glass and natural and geometric shapes.  The tub and the sinks are made of organic materials.

ONE STEP FURTHER:

I wanted to step further into Philip Johnson and his impact that he had on modernism in America.  He studied at Harvard Graduate School of Design under Gropius.  Johnson helped bring over Corbusier, van de Rohe, and Breuer to America who stayed and helped shape design in America.  One of Johnson's most prominent examples of his work is his Glass House.  The idea of the Glass House was highly influenced by van de Rohe and his idea for the Farnsworth House.  In the Glass house the floors are brick, and the inside has walnut walls helping create a bathroom and separate rooms.  Philip Johnson lived from 1906-2005 and influenced design in America for many years.

The image on the left is the exterior of the Glass House and you can see the steel beams that are used and how geometric the style is.  The image on the right is an interior view and it shows you the brick flooring and how open it is in there.  This is a great example of modernism is in America and can still be visited today.