| Title |
Examining the ‘Post-Functional’ Context in The International Style: Architecture since 1922 (1932) |
| Authors |
최용혁(Choi, Yong-Hyeok) ; 김현섭(Kim, Hyon-Sob) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2025.41.5.145 |
| Keywords |
Henry-Russell Hitchcock; Alfred Barr Jr.; International Style; Post-Functionalism; Anti-aesthetic Functionalism; Modernism |
| Abstract |
This study examines the ‘Post-Functional’ context revealed in The International Style: Architecture since 1922 (1932), one of the earliest
analyses of the Modern Movement in architecture which flourished between 1922 and 1931. Authors, Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip
Johnson, incorporated various advancements in modernism traditionally equated with functionalism. However, in the book’s preface, Alfred
Barr Jr. noted that ‘Post-Functional’ was initially considered as a term for this new architectural style instead of ‘International,’ challenging
the common association between modernism and functionalism. This study clarifies the concept of ‘Post-Functionalism’ by analyzing the
original text of The International Style and the evolving meanings of function in architecture since the eighteenth century. Hitchcock and
Johnson criticized ‘anti-aesthetic functionalists’ for neglecting the artistic dimension of architecture and highlighted architects who moved
beyond rigid functionalist constraints. In this context, ‘Post-Functionalism’ can be understood as ‘aesthetic functionalism,’ addressing the
limitations of excessive emphasis on economy and efficiency. While The International Style has faced criticism for its aesthetic-centric view
of modern architecture, a closer analysis provides deeper insight into the book’s intentions, the complexity of architectural modernism, and a
broader reconsideration of the concept of function in architecture. |