"Modernism" in Architecture

To define Modern architecture as a period of novel architectural development between roughly 1890 and 1960 would be to seriously discount the accomplishments of many great designers. Not to mention that the architectural styles explored during this period have very little in common from an aesthetic perspective. Projects built in arts and crafts style in both Britain and America appear to be the polar opposite of buildings such as Villa Savoye or the Seagrams tower. The defining characteristic of Modern architecture is not one of a particular style or movement, but the summation of many “new” styles, all diverting greatly from the assumptions of architectural history. However, in attempting to divest themselves of the history of architecture, namely Beaux Arts and eceleticism, they were in fact responding to the very movements they were to trying to discount. This period of upheaval in architecture corresponded to a period of global and cultural upheaval and reflected that uneasiness in the myriad “styles” that modern architecture attempted to portray. As new technologies appeared, new solutions of engineering were utilized. With the cultural disturbances of war and urbanization, new architectural forms were generated, in an attempt to humanize the urban environments that so many people were migrating to in search of opportunity. With each new development in the human condition in the early 20th century, a new architecture was developed concurrently to both enhance the good qualities and decrease the bad qualities associated with these newfound urbanities. This dialogue with the current cultural conditions defines “Modern” architecture far more than any particular style, architect or building.