Art Deco style
(1925–1940)Stimulated by an exhibition in Paris, this style drew its inspiration from Art Nouveau, Native American art, Cubism, the Bauhaus, and Russian ballet. The stylistic elements were eclectic, including the use of austere forms. It was characterized by linear, hard edge, or angular composition with stylized decoration. It was the style of cinemas, ocean liners, and hotel interiors. It was called “modernistic,” and reconciled mass production with sophisticated design. Facades were arranged in a series of setbacks emphasizing the geometric form. Strips of windows with decorative spandrels add to the composition. Hard-edged, low-relief ornamentation was common around door and window openings and along roof edges or parapets. Ornamental detailing was either executed in the same material as the building, in contrasting metals, or in glazed bricks or mosaic tiles. The style was also used for skyscraper designs such as the Chrysler building (illus.) in New York City.
Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture Copyright © 2012, 2002, 1998 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved