Art Deco
Paris, 1910. The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées rose from the ground on avenue Montaigne with a clean rectangular form and no decoration on its façade. Auguste Perret used reinforced concrete for this building, marking a sharp break from the undulating curves of Art Nouveau that had dominated Europe between 1895 and 1900. Henri Sauvage built another apartment building nearby in 1904 at 7 rue Trétaigne, also using concrete to create clean lines and geometric shapes. These structures offered a new form of construction and decoration that would be copied worldwide. The style drew influence from the bright colors of Fauvism and the Ballets Russes, which caused a sensation in Paris just before World War I. Cubism appeared in France between 1907 and 1912, influencing the development of Art Deco through the simplification of forms to their geometric essentials like cylinders, spheres, and cones. In 1912, the Section d'Or exhibited works considerably more accessible to the general public than the analytical Cubism of Picasso and Braque. The art movement known as Cubism became the lingua franca of the era's decorative artists. A furnished installation called La Maison Cubiste was exhibited at the Salon d'Automne, featuring a façade designed by Raymond Duchamp-Villon and décor by André Mare. Thousands of spectators passed through the full-scale model, which included a bedroom, living room, and paintings by Albert Gleizes, Jean Metzinger, Marie Laurencin, Marcel Duchamp, Fernand Léger, and Roger de La Fresnaye. The Cubist element provided by the paintings helped make for its success despite attacks from some critics who found it extremely radical.
April to October 1925 marked the zenith of the style when the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts took place in Paris. This event officially sponsored by the French government covered a site of 55 acres running from the Grand Palais on the right bank to Les Invalides on the left bank along the banks of the Seine. Sixteen million people visited during its seven-month run. There were 15,000 exhibitors from twenty different countries including Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the new Soviet Union. Germany was not invited because of tensions after the war while the United States declined to participate due to misunderstanding the purpose of the exhibit. The main purpose of the Exhibit was to promote French manufacturers of luxury furniture porcelain glass metalwork textiles and other decorative products. All major Paris department stores and major designers had their own pavilions. The Hôtel du Collectionneur was a popular attraction displaying new furniture designs by Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann as well as Art Deco fabrics carpets and a painting by Jean Dupas. While most pavilions were lavishly decorated with hand-made luxury furniture two pavilions stood out for their austere style: those of the Soviet Union and Pavilion de L'Esprit Nouveau built by Le Corbusier. These featured plain white walls and no decoration among the earliest examples of modernist architecture. The term Art Deco came into use after this exhibition though it did not appear in print until 1966 when historian Bevis Hillier published his first major academic book on the subject.
New York City skyline changed radically between 1930 and 1933 with the completion of three iconic skyscrapers. William Van Alen designed the Chrysler Building completed in 1930 as a giant seventy-seven-floor tall advertisement for Chrysler automobiles. Its top was crowned by a stainless steel spire ornamented by deco gargoyles in the form of stainless steel radiator cap decorations. The base thirty-three stories above the street featured colorful Art Deco friezes while the lobby displayed symbols expressing modernity. The Empire State Building by William F. Lamb surpassed the Chrysler in height in 1931 using a slightly less lavish Deco style. Rockefeller Center added a new design element with several tall buildings grouped around an open plaza containing a fountain in the middle. Across the Hudson River in Newark New Jersey skyscrapers were constructed including the New Jersey Bell Headquarters completed in 1929 designed by Ralph Thomas Walker and the Lefcourt Building completed in 1930 designed by Frank Grad. John Cotton Dana head of the Newark Public Library remarked contemporaneously that these skyscrapers transformed Newark from a huge uncouth industrial monster into a place of refinement. American Radiator Building by Raymond Hood combined Gothic and Deco modern elements in 1924 with black brick symbolizing coal and gold bricks symbolizing fire. Detroit's Guardian Building opened in 1929 designed by Wirt C. Rowland as the first to employ stainless steel as a decorative element. Radio City Music Hall in New York City opened in 1932 originally designed as theatrical performance space but quickly transforming into a cinema seating 6,015 customers.
New materials such as chrome plating stainless steel and plastic began appearing in furniture and decoration during the late 1920s and 1930s. Bakelite an early form of plastic could be easily moulded into different forms soon used in telephones radios and other appliances. In the late 1930s a new variety of Art Deco architecture became common called Streamline Moderne or simply Streamline. Buildings in this style had rounded corners long horizontal lines almost always white sometimes featuring nautical features like railings and portholes resembling those on a ship. The rounded corner appeared in Berlin in 1923 in the Mossehaus by Erich Mendelsohn later in the Hoover Building an industrial complex in London suburb of Perivale. In the United States it became most closely associated with transport rare in office buildings but often used for bus stations airport terminals such as La Guardia airport handling first transatlantic flights via PanAm Clipper flying boats. One of the first production vehicles in this style was Chrysler Airflow of 1933 unsuccessful commercially but setting precedent meant modernity. It continued to be used in car design well after World War II. New industrial materials influenced design of cars household objects including aluminium chrome and bakelite. Ocean liners adopted Style Paquebot known as Ocean Liner Style with SS Normandie making first transatlantic trip in 1935 designed particularly to bring wealthy Americans to Paris to shop.
Art Deco became more subdued during Great Depression reaching Europe shortly after beginning in United States in 1929. Largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in world is Miami Beach Florida where handful of hotels were built after World War II. In France best example of Art Deco interior during period was Palais de la Porte Dorée 1931 by Albert Laprade Léon Jaussely and Léon Bazin built for Paris Colonial Exposition of 1931 celebrating people products of French colonies. Exterior façade entirely covered with sculpture lobby created harmony with wood parquet floor geometric pattern mural depicting people French colonies harmonious composition vertical doors horizontal balconies. Movie palaces appeared globally: Grauman's Egyptian Theatre Hollywood 1922 inspired ancient Egyptian tombs pyramids Fox Theater Bakersfield California attached tower California Mission style to Art Deco Hall. Grand Rex Paris 1932 imposing tower largest cinema Europe after Gaumont-Palace 6000 seats 1931-1973. Paramount Theatre Shanghai China 1933 originally dance hall called Gate of 100 pleasures converted cinema Communist Revolution 1949 now ballroom disco. Cinema Impero Asmara Eritrea small movie palace Italian architects built 1930s. Many movie theatres subdivided multiplexes others restored cultural centres communities. International expansion across Europe Americas Asia distinct regional architectural styles emerged reflecting local contexts while maintaining core aesthetic principles.
After World War II dominant architectural style became International Style pioneered by Le Corbusier Mies van der Rohe. A handful of Art Deco hotels built Miami Beach elsewhere style largely vanished except industrial design automobile styling products jukeboxes. In 1960s modest academic revival thanks writings architectural historians Bevis Hillier. In 1970s efforts United States Europe preserve best examples Art Deco architecture many buildings restored repurposed. Postmodern architecture first appeared 1980s like Art Deco often includes purely decorative features. Deco continues inspire designers used contemporary fashion jewellery toiletries. The same features making popular beginning craftsmanship rich materials ornament led decline Great Depression reduced number wealthy clients pay furnishings art objects. Even Ruhlmann firm resorted producing pieces furniture series rather individual hand-made items. Last buildings Paris new style Museum Public Works Auguste Perret Palais Chaillot Louis-Hippolyte Boileau Jacques Carlu Léon Azéma Palais Tokyo 1937 Paris International Exposition looked out grandiose pavilion Nazi Germany designed Albert Speer facing equally grandiose socialist-realist pavilion Stalin's Soviet Union. Modern industrial methods meant furniture buildings mass-produced not made hand.
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Common questions
When did the Art Deco style originate and what were its early influences?
The Art Deco style originated in Paris around 1910 with buildings like the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. It drew influence from Fauvism, Ballets Russes, and Cubism which simplified forms to geometric essentials between 1907 and 1912.
What event officially defined the Art Deco movement and when did it take place?
The International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts took place from April to October 1925 in Paris and marked the zenith of the style. The term Art Deco came into use after this exhibition though it did not appear in print until 1966 when historian Bevis Hillier published his first major academic book on the subject.
Which skyscrapers define the New York City skyline change between 1930 and 1933?
Three iconic skyscrapers completed between 1930 and 1933 changed the New York City skyline including the Chrysler Building by William Van Alen and the Empire State Building by William F. Lamb. Rockefeller Center added a new design element with several tall buildings grouped around an open plaza containing a fountain in the middle.
How did World War II affect the popularity of Art Deco architecture and design?
Art Deco became more subdued during the Great Depression reaching Europe shortly after beginning in United States in 1929. After World War II dominant architectural style became International Style pioneered by Le Corbusier Mies van der Rohe and the style largely vanished except for industrial design automobile styling products jukeboxes.
Where is the largest concentration of Art Deco architecture located today?
The largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in world is Miami Beach Florida where a handful of hotels were built after World War II. This area preserves many examples that survived when the style largely vanished elsewhere following the war.