Transformative, one word that describes society at the turn of the 20th century. It was a tumultuous period like no other in history, marred by cataclysmic events which changed society considerably.
Prominent between the two world wars and on to the 1950s, modernism was the all-encompassing name for a collection of ideas, influencing the arts; from literature to furniture design, through to art and architecture. Its roots can be traced back to the European block, pioneered in Holland and Germany, spanning towards Paris and East to Moscow. It is a movement that shaped much of the world around us today.
Walter Gropius
The mastermind and driving force behind Bauhaus, wanted to democratise art and design to the masses. Although he famously couldn't draw himself, Gropius was the architect behind the Bauhaus School building in Dessau.
Le Corbusier
A house is a "Machine for living in". Arguably the most influential architect of the 20th century, Le Corbusier pioneered the modernist's approach to purposeful design. His famous five points of architecture became the mantra of an era. Villa Savoye, completed in 1931 was the epitome of this approach. His aesthetic shifted after the second world war, as the forefather of brutalism.
Eileen Gray
Villa E-1027 remains one of the quintessential modernist structures. Built between 1926-1929 its simple clean structure still looks 'modern' today. Eileen Gray, was an architect, furniture and interior designer, who smoothly transitioned from the lacquer cabinetry of the Art Deco period to the refined designs of the modernist movement.
Marcel Breuer
The name alone is synonymous with the Bauhaus movement. Both furniture designer and architect his Model B3- Wassily Chair became the poster child of the modernist movement. Conceived of just two materials, leather and tubular steel, its minimalist form was surprisingly comfortable and functional. This is why it still takes pride of place in many interior schemes today.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
"Less is more" words said by one of the leading architects of the modern era. Mies is responsible for icons such as the Barcelona Pavilion and accompanying Barcelona chair. He was also the third director of the Bauhaus School and in turn oversaw its closure in April 1933 due to a politically charged Nazi Germany.
Why now?
As with most societal shifts, there were two major factors at work, socio and economic. The 19th century had been witness to the industrial revolution. The turn of the 20th century saw the dispersion of these new technologies and manufacturing methods far and wide. With the introduction of the production line in 1913 by Henry Ford, the era of mass production had begun. Traditionally handcrafted pieces made n a workshop were replaced with large scale production pieces at a smaller cost.
This growth in efficiency worked symbiotically with a social desire for democratic change. Reeling from the First World War and the Russian Revolution, paired with the wide-reaching female suffrage movement, signified that the autocratic bubble civilisation had once known had popped. Modernism sought the beginning of democratic design. The world was in a state of total reinvention, it needed healing yet propelling into the future too.
At the time it felt like every country had its own take on modernism. Their values stemmed from the same place and their aesthetics had similarities but every country took a slightly different slant on executing their ideas. Russia had Constructivism, the Dutch had De Stijl and Germany lead the way with Bauhaus. But below are the three common fundamentals of modernist design, each still echoes in society today.
Woka Lamps Vienna Deutsches Bauhaus 1930 Flush Mount Light. Available on eporta.
Architecture
Design matters and this was a period of time that was truly dedicated to this philosophy. The collapse of repressive political structures meant the inequality between the classes was strikingly clear. Architects wanted to pour their efforts into bridging the gap, with a focus on social housing. Aided by innovations in technology, architects such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius, were able to find building solutions, that were faster to produce and cheaper to procure.
Steel, glass and concrete became the tools of the trade. Tell-tale signs of modernist architecture were white exteriors, constructed of rectangular, cylindrical and cubic shapes. Modernist buildings often displayed their structure, with visible pillars and exposed structural steel beams. Such buildings had large banks of horizontal windows across their length.
Power to the machine
The machine was the catalyst and the icon of the modernist movement, it in itself was considered to be a piece of art. Offering invention without limitations machines provided a cure to the ills of society- making everything purposeful and efficient. Even the home was considered to be a machine for living, its purpose was functional, it needed to make life easier.
Furniture design
The lace frills and heavy fabrics of pre-war design were replaced with machine printed cotton devoid of embellishment. Famously ornament was seen as a crime by modernist designers such as Adolf Loos. The aesthetic became clean, simple and geometric, functionality and comfort came before form.
Mass production led to an increased sense of democratic design and affordability for the many, not the few. Fewer materials were used to make each item for this reason, and new materials were explored such as steel, moulded plywood and plastic. The colour palette was refined to just a few primary colours, and there was a predominant use of black and white.
Blank Space
Modernist graphic design, introduced us to the concept of blank space as the antidote to traditionally elaborate and overly decorated posters of the Victorian era. This breathing space was soon applied to interior spaces too.
Helvetica Neue
One of the most widely used fonts in the world, came from humble modernist beginnings. Designed as a juxtaposition to the overly styled fussy fonts of the last century it was created to be clean, simple and grid-like in form. Calligraphic flicks were replaced with abrupt endings at the end of each character.
Less is more
The tagline of Ludwig Mies van de Rohe and the modernist movement has stood the test of time. It has allowed us to translate and understand the paired back Scandinavian aesthetic and epitomises many's understanding of minimalist design. It begs the question, that without Bauhaus, could there have been Ikea?
Image: Eileen Gray's beautifully designed Villa E1027 depicting the importance of the principle. Image via Aram
Concrete Jungle
Brutalism is credited with favouring concrete, however, it was utilised throughout the modernist era as an affordable material for social housing. Whilst not welcoming of modernism at the time, it has had a profound effect on the UK's approach to town planning and an array of brutalist structures such as the Barbican.
Task lighting
The turn of the 20th century saw electricity become universal. It was the first time that focus was really placed on lighting design, and one of the greatest inventions of the time were Anglepoise lights. Discovered in 1932 by a mechanical engineer, George Carwardine, when researching car suspension. The innovation allowed the user to direct an electrical light source for the first time to where it was needed.
Image: Pooky Farrell Anglepoise Floor Lamp. Available on eporta.
