Modernism in America - Part 2

Modernism in America – Part 2

While Modernism throughout Latin America and Africa draw similar comparison to the same style seen in the United States, Asia and the Pacific put their own cultural spin on Modernism. These cultural changes can be seen throughout countries like Japan, Australia, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Japan

Frank Lloyd Wright, Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan
When modernism first arrived in Japan, it was not easily adapted because previous styles consisted of traditional paintings, garden designs, and timber construction. However, modernism’s focus on concrete, steel, and glass was still unattractive to the Japanese because of its correlation to the West. Japan started to modernize on its own through the path of industrialization and urbanization. One of the most notable works is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel, located in Tokyo, because of its inspiring furniture designs specifically.

Kazuo Shinohari, House in Yokohama, Japan
Kazuo Shinohari was also a prominent figure in Japan at this time, mainly for his production of modernized variations of the traditional Japan house. While focusing on a single concept, the majority of his projects used brash exteriors, contrasted by introspective and serene interiors, to reflect the chaos of urban realms. A good example of this is the relationship between two chairs seen in the House in Yokohama in the dining area that face a table in the corner of the room. However, the real view is the exterior that is visible through the triangular windows, mimicking the same geometric shape as the chairs backings.

Australia

Henry Seidler, Rose Seidler House
Harry Seidler and Glenn Murcutt are two prominent architects that represent two strands of the Australian architectural scene. Seidler was known for working within the framework of modernism as a sign of connection to the international elite. However, he emphasized his style in his early work Rose Seidler House in which local art is used in a modern setting. His primary focus, as an architect, was to integrate geometry with a structure and started doing this through specializing in large-scale complex buildings, such as the Australia Square and Capita Centre in Sydney.


Glenn Murcutt, Marie Short House
Glenn Murcutt, on the other hand, worked mainly by himself in single-family homes. While is work expresses a rough and primitive landscape, his homes tend to draw upon vernacular agricultural buildings including toolsheds. One of his first projects, the Marie Short House, mixes vernacular with modernism in such a simple way that creates a light, nimble feeling within the space.

Conclusion

It is evident that although modernism seen in Latin America and Africa draw similar comparisons to one another, Asia and the Pacific put a large amount of cultural spin on this architectural style. We see these cultural changes taking place throughout countries like Japan, Australia, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Comments

  1. Delia T.April 13, 2024 at 8:17 AM

    Susie I really enjoyed your blog and I think it is very well written. I like that you chose to cover what the chapter talked about as I also found the differences of Modernism in various countries interesting. I appreciate that you touched on multiple countries and architects, and your pictures with each were great!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Marisa VanWyheApril 13, 2024 at 12:38 PM

    Great post Suzie! I really enjoyed the dept you went into explaining the history of modernism and how it came to be through the influence of other countries. Also very interesting to read about architecture in Australia. I feel like architecture is huge in Europe and Japan and I tend to forget how other countries build and create staple works of architecture.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Professor VanderNoordaaApril 15, 2024 at 1:50 PM

    Susie,
    I really appreciated your thoughtful blog post that explored how Modernism influenced other countries. You writing and images were great!
    Well done! 50/50 total points

    ReplyDelete

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