Art Appreciation: Modern Architecture

This 6-week course takes you through the evolution of modern architecture, from the organic, flowing forms of Art Nouveau to the groundbreaking works of Richard Rogers, Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid. We will explore major architectural movements, including Art Deco, Bauhaus, Modernism, and Brutalism, and analyse how these styles reflect shifts in society, culture, and technology.

A diverse range of building types will be studied, from train stations and airports to tall office buildings, symbols of industrial and economic progress. Private houses, museums and theatres, schools will also be among the examples examined.

We will see that modern materials, such as steel, glass, and concrete—lead to new forms and spaces. They enabled innovative structures like open floor plans, cantilevers, and faceted façades. We will explore the visionary work of architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, whose organic architecture harmonized with nature, Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe, whose designs embraced functionality and modernity, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who fused Art Nouveau with early modernist principles.

Through case studies and visual analysis, this course will deepen your appreciation of modern architecture. No prior knowledge required.