Characteristics
Common themes of modern architecture include:
- the notion that "Form follows function", a dictum originally expressed by Frank Lloyd Wright's early mentor Louis Sullivan, meaning that the result of design should derive directly from its purpose
- simplicity and clarity of forms and elimination of "unnecessary detail"
- visual expression of structure (as opposed to the hiding of structural elements)
- the related concept of "Truth to materials", meaning that the true nature or natural appearance of a material ought to be seen rather than concealed or altered to represent something else
- use of industrially-produced materials; adoption of the machine aesthetic
- particularly in International Style modernism, a visual emphasis on horizontal and vertical lines
Read more about this topic: Modern Architecture