Modernism

= WHAT IS THE MODERNISM? =

Modernism is an artistic movement that emerged in Europe in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It is an attempt by the bourgeoisie to flee the world of industry to take refuge in a dream world and decoration.

Communications Palace, Madrid, Spain.Architect Antonio Palacios (1907-1917)

Modernism in its inception was inspired by the style of historicism, as a form of reaction against the technological advances of the Industrial Revolution. It was an attempt to recover the architecture of the past by imitating styles from other eras, but adding new buildings materials (glass, wrought iron) that combine and contrast with traditional materials (stones, bricks, wood, marble) to achieve novel effects of ornamentation.

Then search for novelty in a historicist style, nationalist, or eclectic evolved in each country and region in search of an identity, which allowed in a country such as Spain, we observe marked differences between the Catalan modernism represented in buildings of Antonio Gaudi's fanciful and historicism of the Valencian buildings.

Casa Vicens (Barcelona, Spain). Architect Antoni Gaudi (1883-1888)

Facade Northern Railway Station (Valencia-Spain). Architect Demetrio Ribes (1906-1917)

Modernism in architecture, has different forms of manifest and has different names according to each country, but has some common elements, they will mention when referring to its main features.

= **HOW IS CALLED IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES?** =

__- Art Nouveau in Belgium and France.__

In Belgium we can cite as representative of this style architect Henry Van de Velde (1863-1957) and Victor Horta. They introduced ripples in roofs and facades. Visibly used various materials in the same building, and introduced nature motifs in the decoration.

The town house was built for the Workers Party of Belgium. It was a landmark building containing highly functional offices, meeting rooms, shops, cafe and theater. It is a building whose facade is observed iron beams and a large use of glass.

Bloemenweirf House. Belgium. Architect Henry Van de Velde (1896)

Village house. Belgium. Architect Victor Horta (1896-1898)

In France we can mention Hector Guimard (1867-1942) as one of the most representative architects of Art Nouveau architecture modernist. He, he taught at the School of Decorative Arts in Paris. In its buildings used imaginatively, metal, faience and glass brick. One of his most representative works of this style is the auditory Humbert of Romans in Paris, built in 1902, for which he used iron pillars in the form of trees, resting on stone bases, which held a central dome.

__- Sezession name for modernism in Vienna. It was founded in 1897 by a group of 19 artists whose first president was Gustav Klimt.__ To this movement belonged to the architect Otto Wagner (1841-1918)

Vienna postal House. 1904-1906. Architect Otto Wagner.

//"Architecture should stop imitating past styles. It must become a true reflection of our times, expressing simplicity, functional nature, and even the military precision of modern life"// Otto Wagner.

__- Sezessionsstill in Austria, because it was a Secession art and language.__

__- Stile Liberty in Italy include the architect Alfredo Belloumini (1892-1964).__

Massaciuccol Hotel, located in Viareggio, Tuscany, Italy. Architect Alfredo Belloumini

__- Jugendstil in Germany, whose name refers to the modern youth and creative thinking. Here we can mention the architect Augustus Endell (1871-1925), builder Haus Elvira (1886) in Munich.__

Elvira Workshop facade.

__- Modernism in Spain.__

__- Modern Style in England, represented by William Morris Architects and Charles Rennie Mackisntosh__

= **STARTED WHEN AND WHY?** =

Modernism emerged in the late nineteenth century, specifically in Brussels, where the European bourgeoisie felt threatened politically and took refuge in the decoration and ornamentation in buildings. It was a reaction against the progress of the industrial revolution that led to a romantic return to the architecture of the past, but with the freedom not to follow the canons of the academy and leaving the architect free to mix styles and materials.

= **WHAT ARE THE MAIN FEATURES?** =

1. They are very expensive and monumental buildings.

2. In the construction used different materials to give prominence to building, finding for example, that a building has brick walls, with walls of stone and wrought iron balconies, as with the residential building 7 of the architect Jose Manuel Cortina Perez, located Sorni, street 23, Valencia Spain, or the house Tassel (1892-1893) in Brussels architect Victor Horta, in which we find smooth walls, railings wrought iron stairs, glass dome.

Edf 7. in Valencia, Spain. Architect Jose Manuel Cortina Perez Tassel House in Brussels, Belgium 1892 -1893. Architect Victor Horta

3. The different materials used in construction are openly and integrate stylistically in detail in the work, as we see in the gateway to the farm Güell, the architect Antonio Gaudi. Barcelona, ​​Spain, 1884-1887.

Paris Metro entrance. Architect Hector Guimard, 1900

Finca Güell, Barcelona-Spain and Gateway to the farm. Architect Antonio Gaudí (1884 - 1887)

4. The building has a decoration inspired by the flora and fauna, which can be seen in buildings of architect Antonio Gaudi, such as in the House Batló in Barcelona, Spain 1904-1906, where the ridge of the roof resembles the crest of a lizard and the facade mimics the skin of a reptile.

Batló House 1904-1906, Barcelona Spain. Architect Antonio Gaudi