International style

The International Style/ Comparing local designers with International pioneers.

This style emerged in the 1920-30’s and is known for its impact in architectural design to date, the international style is also known as the Modern movement.

Characteristics of the International style:

Straight lines creating and illusion of motion

Firm plane surfaces with light tones

Making the most of interior spaces (open plans)

Weightless look in design

Beam like structures

Flat roof garages

https://www.google.com.mt/search?q=International+Style&rlz=1C1CHBD_enMT705MT705&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiwosyHy7XTAhXLLFAKHYHJB1kQ_AUIBigB&biw=1536&bih=798#imgrc=1WL6XvEJYmC9VM:

At the time one could find Glass, Steel framed windows and reinforced concrete as the prominent materials at the time. This style brought a lot of advantages and as any other thing existing it has its negative side as well, this era took a lot of its importance towards Architectural design.  In this time you could find a type of design with the principles that it’s looking towards the future in the industry, at the time there was a lot of hunger in terms of changing the ‘usual’ style of design so artists and designers opted for this need and started creating design with the thought of volume not mass. This movement also shows the importance of basing the design on balance not symmetry and one could get the feeling that this movement had a lot of strict rules one needs to apply.

The International style showed contrast in design comparing with previous movements, designers such as Le Corbusier, Mies van der Roche, Walter Gropius, Otto Haesler, Marcel Breuer and Ray and Charles Eames are all well-known names that made a huge impact. Although people wanted a changed and difference in design, it was hard for certain civilians to accept the style that by some was called ‘A boring style’ and the idea of minimal decorative spaces or non- decorative spaces at all was frustrating to accept. It was an industrializing period were every space is vital for designers to create a living space, this made anti-civil areas became populated.

New materials at the time:

Tubular steel

Cane

Cantilevering

Bent wood

Glass

Plane surfaces to make things easier for production and reduction of decoration

Comparing and contrasting local designers with International pioneers:

Joseph M Spiteri (Manikata Church), Salvu Ellul (Villino Ellul late 1920’s), Gustavo Vincenti , Silvio Mercieca , Alberto Laferla are all local designers which they contributed in the same International style and we can find Architectural elements in our island.

The Manikata church: Designed by the talented Richard England was built in the 1920, only a few people living in the very small village at the time. I find this design similar in certain characteristics and aesthetical elements from the same well known international style, Guggenheim of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Guggenheim of Frank Lloyd Wright.

With the repetitive natural smooth curves that are illustration a sense of motion, with the use of light tones and flat roofing makes this a similar design or at least a resemblance in both The International style and the Guggenheim itself.

Ex White Rocks complex

Instantly one can resemble this design to what Le Corbusier was all about, in fact I find this representation very similar in terms of design and aesthetics of the famous Le Corbusier cite radiuses Marseille.

With strong straight horizontal lines, weightless look in design and making use of the spaces given is a similar concept and reflects some close relation. The use of horizontal beam like structures, Firm plane surfaces with light tones, use of concrete and glass framed windows are all elements that depict The International style.

Bibliography:

 https://prezi.com/dop4cggnnvg5/international-style-homes/
prezi.com. 2017. INTERNATIONAL STYLE HOMES by Mike Johnosn on Prezi. [ONLINE] Available at: https://prezi.com/dop4cggnnvg5/international-style-homes/. [Accessed 26 April 2017].

http://www.buffaloah.com/a/DCTNRY/i/intrntl.html
International Style. 2017. International Style. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.buffaloah.com/a/DCTNRY/i/intrntl.html. [Accessed 26 April 2017].

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110829/letters/Preservation-of-modernist-architecture.382288
Allied Newspapers Ltd. 2017. Times of Malta ‒ Preservation of modernist architecture. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110829/letters/Preservation-of-modernist-architecture.382288. [Accessed 26 April 2017]

https://www.britannica.com/art/International-Style-architecture
Encyclopedia Britannica. 2017. International Style | architecture | Britannica.com. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/International-Style-architecture. [Accessed 26 April 2017].