The Ascendancy of Modernism World War II limited design activity in America and a virtual stop in Europe Gradual return to prosperity New office facilities, hospitals, colleges, interior design Glass walled skyscraper for business first in USA, then in London and Paris Melamine plastic as impervious material for furniture and counter top surfaces Glass fibre-reinforced plastics for chairs in curvilinear forms Plastic were binders for paneling made of wood chips – wall surfacing and furniture construction Plaster for walls and ceiling were used for factory made products – sheet rocks or dry wall Interior Design Materials Synthetic materials such as plastics replaced older natural materials Textiles and carpets using synthetic fibres Vinyl floor tiles History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism Interior Design Constructions Ceiling hung from above by a system of metal strips that held panels of sound absorbing materials Lighting and air circulation integrated into the ceiling design Windows as a source of light and ventilation replaced by mechanical air conditioning systems Inexpensive fluorescent lighting for commercial and institutional spaces Plastics for carpets, textiles and furniture Design became more international – spread everywhere History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism Italy Pier Luigi Nervi, Palace of labour, Italy – 1961 Scale model viewed from above Concrete columns with spreading leaf like arms form the structure for the large Exhibition Hall Joe Colombo, furniture, Milan, Italy - 1970 Futuristic apartment using circular forms as a theme Arranged rotating elements including a dining table shelf and a cabriolet bed with a folding canopy History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism Arne Jacobsen, SAS Royal Hotel, Denmark – 1958 Quiet form Curving arm chair – Egg Chair Svem Markelius, Folkets Hus, Sweden – 1934 Large auditorium Seating in curving rows to permit easy access Simple, functional forms are enlivened by the ceiling design Lighting takes the form of bright disks floating against a darker background History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism Kaleva church, Finland– 1966 Tall interior space is created by fin like concrete walls widely spaced to make room for bands of windows The roof is made of concrete panels positioned to match the spacing of the walls The colour scheme is subdued grays, except for the warm wood tones of the seating and the pipes for the organ History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism Open plan office, Germany– 1968 Office landscape – open plan office Private offices and closed spaces are replaced by freely positioned groups of furniture which are sited according to patterns of communication The swirling lines indicate circulation paths History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism Frei Otto, German Pavilion Expo 67, Montreal – 1967 The use of tension cables hanging from masts supports a plastic skin encourages the development of freely curving shapes The translucency of the roof material made the interior lighted during the day while the interior lighting made the exterior glow in the night Hertzberger – Insurance office, Netherlands -1973 Cellular organization of office Modular platforms at balconies at various levels Each worker has a unique setting History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism J.L. Martin, Royal festival Hall, London – 1951 The ceiling forms and curved fronts of boxes on side walls – acoustic considerations Concealed lighting on ceiling The natural wood of the three panels at the front focus attention on the platform area Exposed pipes of the large organ – decorative element above the stage History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo – Offices, Illinois, 1955 Work spaces arranged on two floors of two rectangular blocks Have a spacious garden atrium between them Every workstation has a sight of the atrium or the park setting Eero Saarinen, TWA Terminal, Kennedy Airport, New York - 1962 Work spaces arranged on two floors of two rectangular blocks Have a spacious garden atrium between them Every workstation has a sight of the atrium or the park setting History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism Richard Neutra, Kaufmann House, California – 1947 Simplicity The large roll away glass areas and simple treatment of floors and ceiling give the interior space a unity with the carefully planned garden areas outside Frank Lloyd Wright – Guggenheim Museum, New York - 1960 The museum’s main rotunda space is formed by the great spiral ramp Art works are displayed against the outside wall which follows the curve of the ramp Colour is a cream-off white with plants providing green accents History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism Marcel Breuer, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York – 1966 Rectangular stone floor Over head grid contains adjustable lighting fittings combine with the white walls Trapezoidal windows project out of the building’s exterior walls History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism I.M.Pei and Partners National Airlines Terminal, John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York – 1972 Open space roofed with a space frame structure has exterior walls of glass IBM offices, New York – 1974 Three storey office building has walls of continuous glass Circulation space follows the glass walls All workers have equal access to the light and views Each floor is carpeted in an identifying colour contrasting with the green plants History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism Juilliard Theatre, New York – 1968 Moderate size and extensive use of natural wood Office interior – 1985 Typical screen-partition system and furniture Ergonomically designed chairs Interchangeable panels – coloured fabric cover or clear or obscure glass according to the needs History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism Flo Work station and storage units, United States, 1997 Futuristic proposal Making the work experience more individual Easy to tackle tasks History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian

The Ascendancy of Modernism Harry Bertola, wire chair for Knoll associates – 1952 Welded steel wire Larsen Design Studio New York – 1996 Strong patterns in a jacquard fabric on the curving wall and a pattern of rings in the carpet History of Interior Design Sofia Sebastian