Second Century Modernism

Has Modernism failed us? It could be said that Walter Gropius laid the cornerstone of modern architecture in 1919 by founding the Bauhaus. As a result, modern architecture is now over 100 years old. This first century of Modernism has come to a close with a mixed review. Enthusiasm for its achievements goes hand in hand with a discontent about a sizeable portion of its outcome, as well as its effect on the natural and built environments. The most vocal supporters of these modernist ideals crafted epic claims that Modernism was bound to deliver progressive and humane environments. Alas,
the follow-through of those promises was uneven at best.
Can we update this ideological framework, establishing a new outlook that is both open ended and operational? If the first century of Modernism can be considered an architecture of abstraction and ideas, then what might we design if we turn our attention, in this second century of modernism, to an architecture of emotional abundance? Second Century Modernism creates an architecture of richness and community by placing a higher priority on emotional meaning, through a shift in the design process that balances the rational with the intuitive, and a “Less + More” approach to expanding the range of cultural values we can inclusively balance in our environments. It welcomes you to embrace the paradoxical qualities of human existence.

  • ISBN

    9781957183343
  • Title

    Second Century Modernism
  • Author

    John Jennifer Marx, AIA and Form4 Architecture
  • Publisher

    ORO Editions
  • Publication year

    2025
  • Binding

    Hardcover
  • Language

    American
Content Loader
Cite: "Second Century Modernism" 16 Jul 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1032153/second-century-modernism> ISSN 0719-8884

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