The International Style

Begun in Europe before World War II, this style became the leading approach to global commercial architecture after 1945.

c. 1920 - 1980

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The White City of Tel Aviv 
The White City of Tel Aviv 

The architecture of the White City of Tel Aviv is founded on the tenets of modernism in the first half of the 20th century.

Building Brasília
Building Brasília

City planner Lùcio Costa’s graphic design for an ideal city was combined with architect Oscar Niemeyer’s artistic prowess and provocative use of concrete.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Seagram Building, New York City
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Seagram Building, New York City

An International Style gem on Park Avenue

International Style architecture in Mexico and Brazil
International Style architecture in Mexico and Brazil

Modern architecture in Mexico and Brazil adapts the ideas of Le Corbusier in surprising and important ways.

Negotiating the past in Berlin: the <em>Palast der Republik</em>
Negotiating the past in Berlin: the Palast der Republik

This building was a symbol of a repressive regime, but the German government's vote to tear it down sparked years of protests.

Peter Behrens, Turbine Factory
Peter Behrens, Turbine Factory

A leader in modern technology hired a “self-taught architect” with no engineering skills to design their factory.

Gordon Bunshaft for Skidmore Owings and Merrill, Lever House
Gordon Bunshaft for Skidmore Owings and Merrill, Lever House

The glass facade of this office building is unremarkable now, but when it was built, it was revolutionary.

Frank Lloyd Wright, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City
Frank Lloyd Wright, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City

Wright pushed the limits of engineering with poured concrete, and relied on a contractor who build parking garages.

Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater
Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater

Think you procrastinate? Wright blew this project off for 9 months, then designed his most famous house in 2 hours.

Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye
Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye

This house, which emphasized leisure time and fresh air, was Le Corbusier’s own personal Parthenon.

Selected Contributors