Week 6 Protomodernism pt 1 & 2

 In this week, we talked about Protomodernism. The Protomodernism period lasted from 1897 to 1959. Some key features from this period is the rejection of ornamentation, significant experimentation with form and ideas, projects containing the seeds of modernism, and rejection of historical styles. During Protomodernism, there were a couple of movements that occured including the Deutscher Werkbund Movement, Vienna Secession, and the De Stijl- movement.

Deutscher Werkbund Movement

Hermann Muthesius formed the Deutscher Werkbund in Munich, Germany, with the goal of achieving high-quality design through mass production. It was equivalent to the Arts and Crafts movement, except it embraced machine production rather than opposing it. The movement protested against the artistic establishment and promoted collaboration between design professionals and manufacturers to enhance German industrial competitiveness. It helped shape the International Style and Art Deco, influencing architects such as Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, and Mies van der Rohe. 

Werkbund exhibition- 1914

Vienna Secession

The Vienna Secession, started in 1897, was an artistic and design movement that rejected historicism while not fully adopting Art Nouveau. Influenced by Otto Wagner and Adolf Loos, it advocated for the integration of fine and applied arts, believing that daily objects needed creative design. The movement had a strong interest in culture and modern design, emphasizing no ties to historical styles in architecture and interior design. Olbrich, Klimt, Wagner, Loos, Hoffmann, and Koloman Moser were all important individuals. The Vienna Secession and Werkbund had an important impact on Bauhaus designers and modernism. The Secession Building in Vienna, designed by Josef Olbrich, served as an architectural manifesto for the Vienna Secession movement. It symbolized protomodernism, rejecting historical styles in favor of a bold, modern aesthetic. The building's design was both solemn and festive, embodying the movement’s ideals of artistic freedom and innovation.

Secession Building

De Stijl- movement

De Stijl, meaning "The Style" in Dutch, was an art and design movement that began in the Netherlands in 1917. It was also the name of a journal published by Theo van Doesburg, promoting the movement’s ideas. De Stijl focused on elementary shapes, primary colors, and flat surfaces, rejecting natural forms. It emphasized the vertical and horizontal line as fundamental design elements. Key figures included architect Gerrit Rietveld and artist Piet Mondrian.

 

                     Gerrit Rietveld                                                          Piet Mondrian

             Schroder House by Gerrit Reitveld                 Piet Mondrian Composition in red, blue and yellow  

Modern Application

     Prairie styled home

Dining area

Bathroom

One Step Further

Josef Hoffmann was an Austrian architect and designer who studied in Brno, Würzburg, and Vienna under Otto Wagner. Active for 50 years, he worked with furniture, textiles, and metalwork, known for his innovative and progressive designs. Influenced by the English Arts and Crafts movement, John Ruskin, William Morris, and Wagner, Hoffmann favored geometric lines, with the cube and square as his signature motifs. He focused on design and interior elements rather than structural aspects. A key figure in the Wiener Werkstätte, his style emphasized craftsmanship and modern aesthetics.