international style
High modernism of the 1950s-1970s, characterized by simple forms and spacious interiors.
Pictured: Viitatorni
The International Style is the purest and most minimal form of modernism. It originated in a number of movements from Germany and The Netherlands in the 1920s, especially the Bauhaus but also influenced by de Stijl and the German Werkbund. Its designs are generally simple prismatic shapes, with flat roofs and uniform arrangements of windows in bands or grids.
The most common materials in International Style buildings are glass, steel, aluminum, concrete, and sometimes brick infill. Plaster, travertine marble, and polished stone are common on the interiors.
The leader of the Bauhaus School and a founder of the International Style was the architect Walter Gropius. Another Bauhaus architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, is the most famous and influential figure in the movement. The Finnish architect Alvar Aalto another famous and original contributor to this style.
Approximate Dates: 1930 to 1980
