chaithanya ganesh
- Feb 18, 2021
- 1 min read

The Architectural Movements: Post Modernism

Postmodern architecture is a style or movement which emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the austerity, formality, and lack of variety of modern architecture, particularly in the international style advocated by Philip Johnson and Henry-Russell Hitchcock.

Post-modernism grew out in the emergence and response in the rise of art movements and activities in the modern period and as modernism gained extensive popularity, notable cities underwent renovations.

Postmodern architecture was an international movement that focused on free-thinking design with conceptual consideration to the surrounding environment. It encouraged creativity and aimed at creating buildings and structures acknowledging the local history and visual appeal.

Even though a lot was experimented during the post-modern period, one of the major criticism and the reason it wasn't celebrated much was that the architecture did not fully integrate with the surroundings. Post-modernism was never stuck to any designed set of rules to follow or a part of any destined system.

Mary McLeod defines the post-modern architectural movement as “a desire to make architecture a vehicle of cultural expression”.

Major reported characteristics of post-modern architecture are:

- Asymmetry

- Fragmentation

- Complexity

- Bright Colours

- Playfulness

- Classical Motifs

- Variety of materials and shapes

Some of the remarkable post-modern constructions are:

- Vanna Venturi House, Philadelphia USA