structural expressionist
Architecture which gives the appearance of high technology by emphasizing its structural elements.
Also called high-tech modernism, Structural Expressionism is a specific branch of advanced modernism in which buildings display their structural elements visibly inside and out. The larger design features are liberated by the possibilities of engineering, while detailing is generally faithful to the principles of the International Style. Common features include detached frames, exposed trusswork, and highly complex shapes requiring unusual engineering. Structures in this style tend to have a metallic appearance, in contrast to the older brutalist style which usually employs concrete.
Approximate Dates: 1975 to the present
The exposed frame and engineering contribute directly to the building's appearance. Deconstructivism can also have complex forms, but its structural framework is normally concealed rather than displayed in this way.