Streamline Moderne - Characteristics

Characteristics

Common characteristics of Streamline Moderne and Art Moderne

• Horizontal orientation
• Rounded edges, corner windows, and glass brick walls
• Glass block
• Porthole windows
• Chrome hardware
• Smooth exterior wall surfaces, usually stucco (smooth plaster finish)
• Flat roof with coping
• Horizontal grooves or lines in walls
• Subdued colors: base colors were typically light earth tones, off-whites, or beiges; and trim colors were typically dark colors (or bright metals) to contrast from the light base.

The Normandie Hotel, which opened during 1942, is built in the stylized shape of Normandie the ship, and it includes the ship's original sign. The Sterling Streamliner Diners were diners designed like streamlined trains.

Although Streamline Moderne houses are less common than streamline commercial buildings, residences do exist. The Lydecker House in Los Angeles, built by Howard Lydecker, is an example of Streamline Moderne design in residential architecture. In tract development, elements of the style were frequently used as a variation in post-war row housing in San Francisco's Sunset District.