Movements
Prairie School
architectural movement in the American Midwest between 1900-1916, mainly in residential building. Inspired by Sullivan, it was led by Frank Lloyd Wright. Prairie School buildings are typified by horizontality, open plans, and emphasis on natural qualities of materials.
Sublime
a quality of design that evokes awe, wonder, and even fear by emphasizing vastness, grandeur, or the overwhelming power of space and form.
hôtel
a large French townhouse.
skeleton construction
a method of construction consisting of a load bearing framework and outer covering which takes no load (cladding).
Engaged columns
a column that is not freestanding but attached to a wall
Picturesque
an 18th century aesthetic movement in landscape design, characterized by wild ruggedness and asymmetrical composition; in architecture, characterized by asymmetrical disposition of forms and variety of texture. Sublime: a quality of
gesamkunstwerk
German for “total work of art”; is a design philosophy in which architecture, art, furniture, and decorative elements are harmoniously integrated into a unified whole.
Roman brick
a type of brick used in ancient Roman architecture, or a modern brick inspired by the ancient style; longer and flatter than standard modern bricks.
running bond
a brickwork pattern consisting entirely of stretchers, where each brick is laid with its long side exposed.
Apse
semicircle polygonal extension to a larger rectangular space
Neoclassicism
an architectural movement that began the 18th century as a reaction against the Baroque and Rococo, and as a reflection of a general desire for established principals based on the laws of nature and reason. Ornament is restrained; the orders are used structurally rather than ornamentally, with columns supporting entablatures not merely applied to the walls. Volumetric clarity is emphasized both internally and externally.
historicism
the revival of historical architectural styles by imitating ornamental details; beginning in the 19th century
wrought iron
is a malleable and ductile form of iron that is created by heating and hammering the metal to shape it, making it strong in tension and ideal for structural elements like beams, trusses, and railings.
spandrel
in a skyscraper, the horizontal band or panel between the windows of successive floors.
Cella
the main body of a classical temple (containing the cult image), as distinct from the portico, etc.
Vienna Secession
founded in 1897; an avant-garde architectural and artistic movement that rejected historicism in favor of geometric abstraction and total design unity (gesamtkunstwerk). Unlike the organic curves of Art Nouveau, Secessionist architecture emphasized rectilinear forms, stylized ornamentation, and symbolic motifs
Art Nouveau/Jugendstil
is a decorative and organic style (ca. 1890-1910) characterized by curving lines, floral and vegetal motifs. Inspired by nature, Japanese art, and new materials such as iron, it sought to break from historical styles and create fluid, unified designs in which structure and ornamentation were seamlessly integrated.
cast iron
is a strong but brittle iron-carbon alloy that is made by melting iron and pouring it into molds to create specific shapes. It is characterized by its high compressive strength, making it ideal for structural elements like columns, bridges, and decorative architectural features, but it is weak in tension and prone to cracking under stress.
cladding
a lightweight external covering or skin applied to a structure for protective or aesthetic purposes, the load-bearing function of the wall being taken by some other element of the structure.
Rustication
masonry cut in massive blocks separated from each other by deep joints
Darmstadt Artists’ Colony
a state-sponsored community of artists, architects, and designers (including Hoffman, Behrens) founded in 1899 by Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse to promote artistic reform through the integration of architecture, craft, and design under the ideal of the gesamtkunstwerk. Established just outside of Frankfurt, Germany, the colony functioned primarily through exhibition houses and decorative ensembles, emphasizing modern aesthetics as a pathway for both cultural and economic renewal.
Beaux-Arts classicism
a grand and highly ornamented architectural style that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, rooted in the teachings of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Hallmarks of the style include monumental facades, axial planning, use of the classical orders, domes, and rich sculptural reliefs. (example: 1893 Chicago World’s Fair)
porte-cochère
a large covering of an entrance made for vehicles
Chicago School
a group of architects working in Chicago between 1880-1910 engaged in the development of skyscrapers characterized by external expression of their skeletal steel frame (e.g. Jenney, Burnham & Root, Adler & Sullivan)
Deutsche Werkbund
a German association of architects, designers, and manufacturers that was founded in 1907 (including Behrens, Muthesius). The organization’s goal was to improve German industrial design and architecture, and to make German companies more competitive in the global market.