83 Search the Internet and find out why we can say that flatpack furniture we buy from Ikea is a direct descendant of the Bauhaus. Gaud was a major exponent of modernism, but he experimented with the dynamic possibilities of historic styles in a very original way. His work is remarkable for its range of forms, polychromy, and for the free, expressive way in which these elements are composed. The Chicago School of Architecture which emerged in the late 19th century is renowned for the development of skyscrapers, characterised by an innovative use of steel-frame construction, which allowed buildings to reach stunning heights. Because of this school, Chicago has been called the birthplace of modern architecture . Search the Internet and find the name of the award referred to as architecture s Nobel. reinforced concrete: cemento armato shard: scheggia weird-looking: bizzarro 192 CreAtive ArtS THE 20TH CENTURY: ARCHITECTURE Architecture underwent a radical change in the 20th century. What changed was not its genre, but the definition of architecture itself, and thus also the relations and boundaries of architecture with other fields. The pioneers The first decade of the 20th century saw the emergence of the new Le Corbusier artistic avant-garde, in particular: the Bauhaus school founded in Weimar, Germany, in 1919; interplay of volumes assembled in Abstractionism invented by Vasily light , and the best results are achieved Kandinsky in 1913; De Stiji founded in with primary forms, i.e. cubes, cones, 1917; and Constructivism, which emerged spheres, pyramids and cylinders, while in the newly formed Soviet Union the surface, divided according to the immediately after the Socialist revolution. generating lines of each volume, must Architects wanted to break away from Art bring out its specific individuality . Nouveau (called Liberty in England and These architects were part of the Jugendstil in Germany) by refusing any Modernist movement , which aimed ornaments. To these artistic currents we at creating a new sense of space with owe a decisive experimentation in the use the help of modern materials for the and juxtaposition of simple forms and pure modern man . colours; the Bauhaus school combined crafts and the fine arts and is also credited After WW2 with the invention of the current concept of Postmodernist architecture was the industrial design . dominant architectural style after World Among the pioneers and major War II. It was based on new construction exponents of modern architecture are techniques, especially the adoption of Loos, Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, glass, steel, and reinforced concrete. Wright, and Le Corbusier, who is also Classical standards in developing responsible for an initial codification of building proportions but establishing the constituent elements of modernism. symbolic meaning in their new designs According to him, architecture was were embraced. the skilful, rigorous, and magnificent Architects of memorable, avant-garde, and weird-looking buildings that changed the rules of design between creativity, technology, and sustainable design, are: Foster who designed London s Gherkin, Gehry the icon of contemporary architecture who designed Bilbao s Guggenheim Museum, Hadid called the queen of curves for her buildings characterised by instability and movement, Libeskind who designed the Jewish Museum in Berlin, and Piano who designed The Shard, London s tallest skyscraper. Foster