Functionalism

20s-30s

Form follows function. Ornament is a crime. Less is more. The simple yet iconic phrases of genius architects Henry Sullivan, Adolf Loos and Mies van der Rohe have made history and fundamentally changed architecture and the way cities look today. The list would not be complete, however, without Le Corbusier, whose name can be seen as almost synonymous with functionalism, and whose Five Points of Modern Architecture are a major milestone in the development of architecture in general. This is Le Corbusier's functionalism in a nutshell. He designed houses as machines for living - efficient, rational and functional, with a free plan, plenty of natural light and fresh air. Since the 1920s, architects and urban planners have based the design of houses and cities on scientific investigations of human needs. The form of houses was defined by their operational, economic, social and hygienic functions and was intended to meet the needs of their inhabitants.

In our country, functionalism was widely applied to private villas, as well as to commercial and office palaces, school buildings, technical buildings or even churches. Not only solitaires were created, but entire functionalist complexes, residential districts or even entire cities were built. The small town of Zlín, for example, was transformed in a unique way into a modern centre full of functionalist architecture in a few decades, thanks to the factory owner Tomáš Bat'a and his wit. Functionalism did not only take root in architecture, but it was also strongly reflected in the design of applied arts, furniture and interior accessories. Le Corbusier's ideas were further developed in the field of design, especially by the German Bauhaus, where high quality, timeless and nowadays still highly appreciated modern functionalist design was created. Barbora Kovářová

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