Modern architecture can be defined as that which is not traditional. A house built in the modern architectural style boasts clean lines and a flat roof, little ornamentation and no pretense as to its materials and workmanship.
The glass and metal appeal of modern homes and commercial buildings came into popularity in the years following World War II. Originally, modern architecture was more a social movement rooted in political rhetoric; form and function were more statement than artistry. Amid the ruins of war torn Europe in the 1920s and 1930s, there came into being the Bauhaus, a school for artist that included architectural pursuits. The "school motto" was Start from Zero.
Such notables as Mies Van der Rohe and Walter Gropius came to represent the modern architectural movement. The politics behind the movement were a complex weave of anti-war sentiments, socialism and machine age glorification.
These sentiments were embodied in basic materials such as concrete and stone, glass and metal. The function of space was to function as space, providing only that which man needed. The styling of traditional architecture, from gabled roofs to corbels to stained glass windows were eschewed. Windows were designed to allow in light and heat. Roofs were designed to protect the inhabitants from the elements. Any ornamentation was superfluous. Basic spaces to meet basic needs.
After World War II, the basic rectangular form that functioned as modern architecture became more appealing to the populations of the now super industrialized West. All things modern were considered desirable, and modern architecture as seen today came into its own.
Though still lean in design, current forms of modern architecture have become more stylized, particularly in residential design. Roofs with one-sided slopes to encourage passive heat flow, rectangular structures with interior curved walls to encourage air distribution throughout, and honest materials of reclaimed wood, concrete and stone all find their way into modern architecture.
The form of the structure itself becomes the ornamentation of the style. Though originally boxy and cubicle in nature, modern design now follows the land's contours while still retaining basic geometric structure. The results are decidedly non-traditional, yet are decidedly different from the intentions of the founders of Bauhaus.
The idea behind their rally cry of Start from Zero was one of a deconstructionist ideal. The founders wanted to take apart all that had come before and reconstruct architecture, and indeed societies, to suit a leaner, more streamlined way of living.
The simplification of living spaces by eliminating ornamentation and making no effort to hide the origins of materials and craftsmanship was, and remains, the primary characteristic of modern architecture. But that modern architecture has become a stylish and exclusive design for those who can afford such homes would surely disturb the socialist thinking of Walter Gropius and the followers of Bauhaus design.
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