Postmodern Architecture | Definition, Style & Characteristics

Art and Architectural Movements

You may assume that we live in the modern world. There are those who would agree with you. There are also some who would disagree. Some prefer to say we live in the postmodern world. Postmodernism is an academic and artistic description of things that have happened in the second half of the 20th century, and which largely exist as reactions against the goals of the early 20th century. It's a broad category, one that resists definition in many ways, but which has had a profound impact on many forms of art, including architecture.

Modern vs. Postmodern Architecture

The first thing we need to do is understand architecture in the context of the first half of the 20th century. Modernism was an international style of architecture that was formal, austere, and serious. It emphasized function over form and was deeply connected to several philosophical ideas, notably that good architecture could improve people's lives. It eschewed the more ornamental styles of earlier movements.

Postmodernism, also an international style, was in reaction to modernism. The concept of postmodernism was introduced in the 1950s and became a movement in the 1970s. Postmodernism sought to blend different architectural styles to incorporate historical styles while at the same time reflecting the current cultural environment in which they were made. These buildings retain their functionality but their appearance is anything but ordinary.

So what does that actually look like in terms of architecture and design? Postmodern architecture tends to be highly decorative and somewhat whimsical. Perhaps its most defining feature, however, is the refusal to draw inspiration from a single source. Postmodern architects incorporate design elements from several different architectural styles into a single structure, breaking down the boundaries between styles. Thus, it's one of the most eclectic forms of architecture, focused on the joy of design and rejecting formal rules of style.

That's a broad definition for a hard-to-classify style of architecture, but it serves to illustrate the general goals of Postmodernism. In trying to further define Postmodernism, the Victoria and Albert Museum of London held an exhibit in 2011 in which the curators were able to define four common aesthetic threads of Postmodernist style: metaphor, quotation, pluralism, and parody. Let's take a look at these and see what Postmodernism really looks like.

Metaphor & Quotation

Postmodernism is a design-driven style, drawing inspiration from a wide number of sources. A metaphor in architecture is based on non-architectural forms, such as inspiration from the natural world as well as human-made objects that are made into buildings resembling the genuine article.

Famous examples of metaphors in postmodern buildings include the Lotus Temple of New Delhi, India. This religious structure is based on the shape of a lotus flower, with the form of the building defined by petal-like components as well as and the Binocular Building, an unnervingly accurate depiction of giant binoculars that is located in Los Angeles, California.

Quotation involves the direct use of elements from other buildings in a new structure. Think of it this way: architects generally draw inspiration the way you may paraphrase someone else's speech. Your friend told a story, and you adapted it to fit a different audience. However, if you quoted your friend directly, you'd be telling an exact portion of the story.