Avant-garde architecture is a movement that started emerging in the 1920s as an impact of the rationalism that influenced the 20th century. The term “avant-garde” derives from the French military term, representing the front part of the marching army, the scouts that headfirst into unknown territory.
In architecture, avant-garde is radical and controversial, rejecting traditional standards to embrace new, innovative ideas, philosophies, and advanced technologies. It conveys the struggle against the old and heads towards the new. Avant-garde is built upon a radicalized but yet basic principle of modernity: the urge toward continual change and development.
Key Avant-Garde Characteristics:
- Innovation in Structure and Form;
- New Technologies and Materials;
- Integration of Art and Architecture;
- Social and Environmental Responsiveness.
However, the avant-garde in itself was hardly a movement as a whole. Rather, the avant-garde consisted of distinguishing movements and tendencies within its discourse, such as De Stijl in Holland, Productivism and Constructivism in Russia, and the late Expressionist currents of the Arbeitsrat für Kunst and the Novembergruppe in Germany among the architectural avant-garde. Therefore, it would be more accurate not to speak of the modern movement as the avant-garde but rather to distinguish these avant-garde moments in architecture individually.
Notable Avant-Garde Movements in Architecture
Modernism
Born in the early 20th century, Modernism soon became the single most important new style and philosophy of architecture and design of the century. The movement was associated with an analytical approach, rational use of materials, structural innovation, and minimalistic design stripped of ornaments. One of the core principles of this style was “Form follows function,” stating that the design should derive from its purpose.
The building form should be simple and true to the structure, cleared of unnecessary detail and ornamented facades. As a result, industrially manufactured materials such as steel, glass, and concrete prevailed in this era. Famous modernist architects and pioneers include Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, and others.
Constructivism
Constructivist architecture, a form of modern architecture cultivated in the 1920s in the Soviet Union, was inspired by Bauhaus and the constructivist philosophy that emerged from Russian Futurism. Constructivists believe that a building’s visual perception should primarily convey its functional purpose rather than an abstract concept or symbolic meaning.
Consequently, Constructivist architecture favored function and industrial materials, often being minimalistic and rational, moving away from ornaments. The pioneers of this movement were Vladimir Tatlin and Alexander Rodchenko.
Expressionism
Expressionism, a style that stemmed from the genesis of Art Nouveau, was characterized by dynamic and unusual forms, new materials, and an integration of art and architecture. While still a subsect of the Avant-garde movement, it utilized the rational minimalist rigor of other movements while allowing designers to explore new and radical perspectives, offering some of the most dynamic and expressive architecture of the 20th century.
Architects of Expressionism took advantage of many elements associated with the movement through other art forms to breathe life into their designs and convey emotional experiences rather than representing a physical or functional reality through them. The stylistic elements of Expressionism in architecture can be found in the works of architects such as Erich Mendelsohn, Otto Wagner, Bruno Taut, and more.
Deconstructivism
Deconstructivism appeared in the 1980s and started to truly grow in the 1990s as a movement. It aimed to oppose the ordered rationality established by modernism. In principle, this movement sought to “invent the impossible.” With fragmented volumes, rejection of symmetry, lack of harmony, linearity, and continuity, the movement broke the structural norms of classic buildings, moving away from elementary architectural principles. Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, and Daniel Libeskind are some famous architects who practiced deconstructivist architecture through their designs.
Parametricism
Parametricism is an architectural style within the avant-garde movement that is based upon computer technology and algorithms. The concept developed through the digital animation techniques of the mid-1990s, but it gained prominence in the early 21st century with the development of technology to become one, if not the most, influential architectural style of the century so far.
Parametricism implies that all design elements become parametrically variable and mutually adaptive. It harnesses flexible geometric properties, essentially designing with parameters rather than traditional shapes. Noteworthy architects such as Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, and Herzog & de Meuron have utilized this architectural style to design unique buildings, significantly challenging traditional architectural norms through the flexibility of parametricism.
Notable Avant-Garde Projects
Villa Savoye, Poissy
Year: 1931
Architect: Le Corbusier
Villa Savoye, designed by Le Corbusier, is one of the cornerstones of Modernism. The house exemplifies Le Corbusier’s “Five Points of Architecture” (Pilotis, Flat Roof Terrace, Open Plan, Ribbon Windows, Free Façade), making it one of the most important architectural precedents in the history of architecture. The house’s detachment from its physical context further highlights the industrial context of the early 20th century, defining the house as a mechanized entity.
Fallingwater, Mill Run
Year: 1937
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
Fallingwater, a house built over a waterfall in Pennsylvania, is Wright’s crowning achievement in organic architecture. The house seamlessly integrates and harmonizes with its surroundings through the use of cantilevered terraces extending out over the falls and the use of local stones, perfectly showcasing Wright’s philosophy of blending architecture with nature.
Sydney Opera House, Sydney
Year: 1973
Architect: Jørn Utzon
The Sydney Opera House is a modern expressionist design and one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, mainly due to its unique use of a series of gleaming white sail-shaped shells as its roof structure. It was a sculptural design that took advantage of Bennelong Point’s harbor-side setting, allowing the building to be viewed from every angle. Utzon’s original design concept and innovative approach to architecture went on to spark a wave of collective creativity among architects, engineers, and builders involved in this masterpiece.The Sydney Opera House was included in the National Heritage List in 2005.
Dancing House, Prague
Year: 1996
Architect: Frank Gehry and Vlado Milunić
The Dancing House is a well-known building of deconstructivist architecture with a unique shape resembling a pair of dancers. The design revolves around this metaphor of a dancing couple, with two central pillars representing the distinct contrasts of static and dynamic movement. One pillar, a tapered glass tower, is cinched in the middle and flares out at the bottom, representing the dynamic, feminine movement. A second pillar (representing the static, masculine partner) is constructed with concrete panels and stands upright, with a metal mesh tuft at the top.
Though it was initially criticized for its unusual structure, it has become one of the most famous buildings of the city.
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao
Year: 1997
Architect: Frank Gehry
Designed by Frank Gehry, the Guggenheim Museum represents a perfect example of groundbreaking 20th-century architecture. The building is a fusion of complex, swirling forms and captivating materiality. Although the metallic exterior appears almost flower-like from above, from the ground, the building has a ship-like profile that connects it with the area’s industrial heritage. Built from titanium, limestone, and glass, the curves of the exterior, despite appearing random, are designed to catch the light and respond to the sun and weather.
Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku
Year: 2012
Architect: Zaha Hadid
The Heydar Aliyev Center, a wonder of architecture and engineering, is a perfect example of inovation and an out of the box vision of form, structure, materials and more. The massive curves and folds of the building’s exterior seamlessly integrate with the surrounding landscape, defining an unusual urban fabric. The free-flowing curves create a welcoming atmosphere, guiding visitors through different levels and blending the built environment with the urban landscape. The smooth, monotone materials and the seamless transition between interior and exterior create a unified story for visitors.
The design also pays homage to Islamic architectural traditions through rows, grids, and ornamental patterns found in the interiors. This integration of historical elements with contemporary design achieves a cohesive visual language throughout the space. The amount of thought, consideration, innovation, and design that has gone into this building has earned it a place among the most iconic pieces of architecture of this century.
CCTV Headquarters, Bejing
Year: 2012
Architect: Rem Koolhaas (OMA)
CCTV Headquarters is yet another significant deconstructivist building by Rem Koolhaas’ studio OMA that has redefined the traditional form of skyscrapers. Rather than competing for ultimate height and style in a traditional two-dimensional tower, the CCTV’s loops offer a three-dimensional experience. Its design culminates in a 75-meter cantilever, presenting a gravity-defying skyscraper. In one of the book’s chapters titled “Kill the Skyscraper,” Koolhaas claimed that “The skyscraper has become less interesting in inverse proportion to its success. It has not been refined, but corrupted.” The CCTV Headquarters represents his attempt to present an alternative format for designing skyscrapers.
