Art Deco
/artdeco76
A channel devoted to the distinctive architectural style of the early 20th century.
Tim Huhn
'Waiting in White'
'Fanfare for the Common Man'
'Waiting in White'
'Fanfare for the Common Man'
Tucked away in Southern Oregon is a most unexpected architectural marvel: the Patterson Bridge. Completed in 1932, this dramatic river crossing owes its decidedly Manhattan air to the tapering and setback of its four pylons, which produce a rather striking contrast against its Tuscan order arches and Venetian windows.
Not long ago @aviationdoctor.eth shared a modern example of Art Deco – here’s my response. This is Rose Hill, a 45-story Manhattan skyscraper by Rockefeller that opened in 2021. Big fan of the buttresses with bottom-lit chevron reliefs, which I find produce an appearance that is simultaneously imposing and refined.
Spotted this gem on a recent walk with @sidshekhar along London’s Victoria Embankment. The 12-story edifice, known as Shell Mex House, opened in 1932 and was once the headquarters of a joint venture by Shell and BP. With a diameter of 25 ft, its clock face surpasses that of Big Ben, making it the largest in London.
Being one of the few major Art Deco works in Paris, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (1913) is also one of the first to be made of reinforced concrete, itself conceived in France just a few decades prior. Its principal façade is adorned with an iconic three-part low relief by Rodin student Antoine Bourdelle.
The cathedral-like ribbing of the Los Angeles Times building is exemplary of larger commercial developments from the late Art Deco period. Designed by Gordon B. Kaufmann—best known for his work on the Hoover Dam—the building received a gold medal at the 1937 Paris expo.
Thoughts on this building?
My favorite building in Singapore is Parkview Square, an iconic 2002 neo art deco tower inspired by NYC's 1929 Chanin Building. The exterior surface is clad in brown granite, bronze, lacquer, and glass. Its lobby houses Atlas Bar, one of Asia’s best bars, with a gin tower of 1,000 bottles.
The sunburst motif, emblematic of the Art Deco era, reflects the period’s zeal for innovation just as much as it does the contemporaneous fascination with Ancient Egyptian, Greco-Roman, and American archaeology. A notable instance of the motif is the stained-glass skylight of Buffalo City Hall in upstate New York.
Widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture is the Chrysler Building in New York City. Architect William Van Alen cleverly stylised the legally mandated setbacks seen throughout the edifice into a terraced crown and spire, giving the building its iconic, otherworldly façade.