Did you know?
Capitol Hill is the unofficial birthplace of Denver's preservation movement. Following the 1970s demolition of the Moffat Mansion (at 8th and Grant) Historic Denver, Inc. was created by concerned citizens in time to save another of our city's precious historic homes, that of the "unsinkable" Margaret Brown.
LATE MODERNISM
Beginning in the 1970s, architects in the United States put forward a new architecture that constituted an updating of earlier Modern styles. Like the earlier Modern buildings, Late Modern architecture was reductive and functionalist. In addition to refining or reformulating earlier Modern concepts, Late Modernism also rehabilitated certain out-of-favor Modernist features including radial corners, glass blocks, and belt courses.
Many of the most important Late Modernist buildings were in the form of high rises, but large low rise buildings were also built in the style, notably schools, factory buildings, and shopping centers. A limited number of Late Modernist houses were also constructed during the period.
Though the use of metal and glass curtain walls firmly links the Late Modern style to the Second Phase International Style, the two styles are clearly distinguishable from one another in a number of ways. The most obvious difference between the two styles was that Late Modern style architects imagined their buildings not as a simple straightforward set of volumes, but as highly articulated sculptural forms, albeit rectangular ones. This is the case even when these sculptural forms are simply the result of structural engineering considerations.
The acceptance of the key importance of rationalism as the underlying philosophy of building design associated with the International Style and the panoply of styles that were its progeny was attacked viciously by the Post Modernists. Emboldened by their successes, the Post Modernists believed they had written Modern’s final chapter. In recent years, as Post Modern has degenerated into Neo Traditionalism, Late Modern has evolved into Neo Modern.
The term was coined in the 1980s by Charles Jencks.
Defining Characteristics:
• Horizontally oriented • Ribbon windows, belt courses
• Hooded or deep set windows
• Large areas without windows
• Use of industrial materials like concrete
• Dramatic sculptural conception of building’s volumes
• No ornament
• Walls eaveless or with boxed or cantilevered eaves
• Decorative use of functional features
• Flat and shed roofs
Information and some images
from Historic Denver guide books, including
"A Guide to Denver's Architectural Styles and Terms."
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