Throughout the 20^th century, architects have contributed to multitude of movements that narrated the styles of architecture. The most renowned architects at the time contributed with early to high modernism and later in post modernism. These movements have defined the architecture in the 20^th century by either finding innovative solutions in spaces of buildings or designing buildings that commemorate the architectural past.

              Architects in the 20^th century have innovated different and unique styles that defined the movements of early, high, and post modernism architects in the early and high Modernism tend to create a more open and broad space. According to Venturi’s Complexity and Contradiction (Venturi 1966), high modernism architecture created an abstract and broad place that gives more room of use both inside and outside of the architectural work. Venturi also states that these works define that high modernism uses more of an “oversimplification” of buildings and try to solve the problem of how space will be used to construct the building. In Stern’s Gray Architecture as Post-Modernism, or, Up and Down from Orthodoxy (Stern A. 1976), he compares the works of the post-modernism movement, where architects tend to look into a more traditional and conservative approach when they designed the buildings. Stern states that the best comparison between the high modernism movement and post modernism movement was between the “Whites” and “Grays”. These groups were renowned in New York City, where they shaped the high modernism and post modernism movements.

              These architects were also heavily criticized that when their work is seen at first sight will look aesthetically pleasing, when buildings were looked a bit more in detail, there are quirks that can be found inside, according to Venturi. For instance, Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye, it seems that is very simple on the outside, but when you go inside, the structure becomes complex. The details that portray the real image of the building has a clash between the contrasts of elements that create the solution of the building.

              Architects drive the movements of architecture very dynamically, especially during the 20^th century. From creating an open and broad spaces in works, to buildings that commemorate of how architecture evolved through time, architecture is a playful game that defines uniqueness in design. Architecture remains as a dynamic movement that transcends back and forth, where current technology is used, but some designs resemble the past.

References

Stern A., Robert. 1976. Gray Architecture as Post-Modernism, or, Up and Down from Orthodoxy.

Venturi, Robert. 1966. Complexity and Contradiction.