Postmodernism

Postmodernism It is a late 20th century movement in the arts, architecture, and criticism that was a departure from modernism. Postmodernism

includes skeptical interpretations of culture, literature, art, philosophy, history, economics, architecture, fiction and literary

criticism. The term was first used around the 1870s and later in 1921 and 1925, postmodernism had been used to describe new

forms of art and music. In 1949, this term was used to describe dissatisfaction with modern architecture, and led to the

postmodern architecture movement, also response to the modernist architectural movement known as International Style.

Michael Graves’ Portland Building

in Portland, Oregon

Philip Johnson’s Sony Building in

New York City

Postmodern architecture

This began as an international s tyle during 1950s but did not

become a movement until the late 1970s, and then it continues to

influence today architecture.

←Both of these buildings borrows elements and references from

the past and reintroduces color and symbolism to architecture.

Postmodern architecture has also been called as neo-eclectic, where

reference and ornament have returned to the façade, replacing the

aggressively unornamented modern styles. It often combined with

the use of non-orthogonal angles and unusual surfaces. ↓

The Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh been cited as

being of postmodern vogue.

State Gallery of Stuttgart by James Stirling The Piazza d’Italia by Charles Moore.

Postmodernist movement is often seen as an American movement, starting in America around the 1960s-1970s and then

spreading to all round the world until today. The aims of Postmodernism or Late-modernism begin with its reaction to

Modernism: it tries to address the limitations of its predecessor. Postmodernism was aiming to solve probl ems of Modernism,

communicating meanings with ambiguity, and sensitivity for the building’s context, are surprisingly unified for a period of

buildings designed by architects who largely never collaborated with each other.

Notre Dame du Ronchamp

By Le Corbusier

The Chandigarh Legislative

Assembly building – by Le

Corbusier

Philip Johnson’s own

guest house at New

Cannan, Connecticut

Petronas Twin Towers in KL,

Malaysia, by Cesar Pelli, 1999

The M16 Building in London,

UK, by Terry Farrell, 1994

Characteristics

It allows its aim to be expressed in

diverse ways. These include the use of

sculptural forms, ornaments,

anthropomorphism and materials which

perform trompe l’oeil. These physical

characteristics are combined with

conceptual characteristics of meaning.

Hans Hollein

Abteiberg Museum

Frank Gehry’s Venice

Beach House, 1986

Robert Venturi’s Vanna Venturi House