The British Secret Intelligence Service building at Vauxhall Cross, London (Photo: Laurie Nevay)
Postmodern architecture emerged during the second half of the 20th century in a reaction to and rejection of the International Style and the rigid dogmas of Modernist design. Architects broke free from the restraints of individual traditional styles and found new inspiration in a mix of them, creating combinations of bright colors and asymmetrical shapes interpreted in a variety of materials.
Modern architecture specialist Bill Keene surveys the diverse threads linking the elements of this complex approach to design, seen in such works as I.M. Pei’s pyramid at the Louvre, which transforms a solid and heavy Egyptian monument into a glass wonder of fragility and transparency. Philip Johnson’s AT&T building in Manhattan presents a 37-story skyscraper in the form of an 18th-century Chippendale dresser.
The experimental playfulness of Frank Gehry's 1991 “Binoculars Building” in Los Angeles is examined, as well as the architect’s home remodeled with chain-link fencing, unfinished plywood, and corrugated metal.
Michael Graves’ Portland Building—the first Postmodern office tower—and the work of the Philadelphia firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates are also among the structures covered. Each design is distinct, but all reject the formal for the unusual, the colorful, and the unexpected.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*
General Information
*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.
