Mid-Century Modern Homes That Shaped the Future of Architecture Design (2024)

FAQs

What architectural style came after mid-century modern? ›

Postmodern architecture is a style or movement which emerged in the late 1950s as a reaction against the austerity, formality, and lack of variety of modern architecture, particularly in the international style advocated by Philip Johnson and Henry-Russell Hitchco*ck.

Influenced by the optimism of the post-World War II boom and by the exploration of a range of materials, including steel, concrete, and newly available insulated glass, the mainstays of midcentury-modern architecture remain appealing to this day.

Frank Lloyd Wright, the father of modern architecture, actually trained many midcentury modern architects. After World War II, Americans put a major emphasis on lifestyle, family time, and spending time in nature.

One of the prevailing themes of Midcentury Modern architecture is a nearly equal emphasis on function and form. The style itself originated—and came to be extremely popular—for both practical and aesthetic reasons.

The modern style eventually morphed into midcentury modern (the 1950s and 1960s) and postmodernism (1970s and 1980s). While midcentury modern looks a lot like modern design with splashes of bright color added strategically, postmodernism doesn't.

“This is not about trying to recreate buildings of the past, but it is lifting elements out of their context and putting them together in slightly fragmentary, but always unexpected ways.” It wouldn't be unusual in postmodern design to see things like columns or cornices, which are historically associated with Greek ...

The MCM design aesthetic is modern in style and construction, aligned with the Modernist movement of the period. It is typically characterized by clean, simple lines and honest use of materials, and generally does not include decorative embellishments.

While the Bauhaus movement preferred the “less is more approach” Mid Century Modern allowed the freedom of bringing in more dynamic accessories through ornamentation from all materials, antiques, plus modern accessories in the mix. It still keeps things simple, but with a bit of flair and its own sense of style.

Mid-century modern homes are finding new respect among homeowners in the Washington, DC, area. These homes are typically grouped into two categories — ranch and split-level — and date from 1935 to 1975.

Midcentury modern homes can be described as the precursor to modern hygge or minimalist design. Architects incorporate simple, clean lines and decorate the space with different textures and natural elements, like stone, green or living walls and wooden paneling along ceilings and walls.

Who are the four masters of modern architecture? ›

However, in order for us to discover our personal stand, we must look back at the logic and philosophy of the great pioneers who influenced architecture before us. Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Louis Kahn are four of the most notable architects to date.

Share: Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, more widely known as Le Corbusier ('The Crowlike One'), was a Swiss-French architect, designer, urban planner, and writer.

Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs has one of the highest concentrations of preserved midcentury-modern homes in the world, as the style's emphasis on indoor-outdoor living is perfectly suited for the area's desert climate.

MCM homes were not energy efficient and were prone to leaky roofs and drafty windows. They earned a reputation of being difficult and expensive to maintain, and contractors started to avoid building new MCM homes or remodeling existing ones for fear of expensive callbacks.

Mid-Century Modern designs blend modern form with natural materials and are in some ways less jarring and clinical than the chrome and black leather chairs of the International Style. Logistically, this particular style happens to suit the lifestyle of millennials pretty well.

"Ontologically," they write, "metamodernism oscillates between the modern and the postmodern.

What qualifies as “Late Modernism?” A few of the architectural features contributing toward that classification include a horizontally oriented building plan, ribbon windows, flat or shed roof, use of industrial materials like concrete, and very little exterior ornamentation.

Googie architecture developed from the futuristic architecture of Streamline Moderne, extending and reinterpreting technological themes for the new conditions of the 1950s.

Art Deco is a style that emerged after the decline of Art Nouveau and grew in the inter-war period of the 20th century, becoming especially popular in Hollywood as a luxurious style, ideal for the film production.