The Modernist architectural movement aimed to break away from the old and introduce a revolutionary industrial aesthetic. This meant different things for different architects, but some key ideas remained constant and were the core of this style of architecture. These ideas were of simplicity, leanness, honesty, efficiency, light, a sense of idealism and the one that stood out to me—transparency.
I deeply admire the spirit of rebellion that that pushed these architects to create structures that deviate greatly from what had come before. I love seeing the clean lines, how the buildings break up to reveal the landscape and the contrast between something that looks so industrial against natural scenery. There is beauty in the interconnectedness of the shapes and attention to details.
Modernist buildings put a significant emphasis on glass. Placements of large windows aimed to let natural light in and have the ability to see an explosive view of the landscape. While this had physical issues such as the tendency for room to get overheated, psychologically, it posed far more complex issues. Modernism aimed to expose with its clear constructure, visible pipelines, nuts and bolts all out in the open. Essentially, design aspects which were earlier hidden in the interior were now on the exterior. Similarly, everything inside the building was now visible to anyone viewing from anywhere. The interlinked construction was such that there were no nooks and crannies and no concept of privacy.
Modernists aimed to fascinate, confuse and derail but if I lived in a time during which large, Victorian buildings were replaced by minimalistic structures that offered no place for solitude, I would find it jarring and uncomfortable. The Bauhaus Masters’ housing was located far from the Bauhaus, but some of the windows were painted white because of the feeling of a lack of privacy, despite being isolated from the other houses. This shows how people who contributed to the movement were also not entirely comfortable with how the idea was translated in execution.
It is important for an architect to make the users of their building feel safe, comfortable and offer them a place of respite—otherwise it will remain a building and will never have any sentiment attached to it. I believe that buildings must have meaning because as humans we seek that in everything. A structure which reveals all feels very cold, impersonal and detached. Since everything private is made public, nothing about the room reveals anything personal about the inhabitant anymore. When the space is no longer a reflection of oneself, then it is impossible to feel at ease. If there is no space to truly be yourself, I think it would generate an unnerving, alienated feeling.
I believe that Modernists may have taken it too far with entire walls made of glass and how their structures seemed to tell you how to live your life. That being said, I can see how various philosophies at the time made people increasingly aware of the oppressive structures of society and inspired the idea of transparency in architecture. It is exciting to see that Modernists were idealists and I do not mind that it may not have made complete practical sense because the romance behind what they believe could be and the faith that they had in the future is magical. That is something no one can take away from Modernists and what I like to think defined their movement.