Classics and Good Architecture: Modern Housing on the American Continent 1930-1960

Much of the production of modern architecture on the American continent was based on the model of European architects who, with their works, projected the fundamental premises and ideas for modern living. These pillars of architecture were transferred and consequently adapted to the American territory, introducing, at the same time, their own characteristics according to the territorial, socio-cultural and economic context. 

We understand that good architecture is that which serves as a model for solving problems inherent to the discipline of architecture in general. This is why certain references that we consider today as “classics” are examples of good architectural practices that have been appropriated by other architects, taking the pertinent and necessary elements to achieve a result in accordance with the particular context. 

At the same time, these works themselves become benchmarks for future generations. Considering the years that have passed since their construction, the architectural classics survive the passage of time without losing their relevance. In this way, they become exemplary works of the modern canon in America.

We analyze housing as a fundamental program of the modern movement, both individual and collective. We are interested in the shift from the European debate to American production. In particular, the domestic sphere’s redefinition brings innovative solutions in terms of spatiality and material exploration. The use of light, the flexible floor plan, the stripping of ornamentation, and the new relationship between privacy and intimacy, are just some of the formal operations that marked the production of the second half of the 20th century. The time frame coincides with the moment of greatest modern production on the American continent and runs from 1930 to 1960.

Modernist House da Rua Itápolis / Gregori Warchavchik

Curutchet House / Le Corbusier

House on the Stream / Amancio Williams

Das Canoas House / Oscar Niemeyer 

Farnsworth House / Mies van der Rohe

O´Gorman House / Juan O´Gorman

Glass House / Lina Bo Bardi

Barragán House / Luis Barragán

Los Eucaliptus Building / Jorge Ferrari Hardoy + Juan Kurchan

Eduardo Guinle Park / Lucio Costa

Prefeito Mendes de Moraes Residential Complex (Pedregulho) / Affonso Eduardo Reidy

This article is part of one of the ArchDaily Topics: What is good architecture?, introduced by our first book: The ArchDaily Guide to Good Architecture. Each month we explore a theme in depth through articles, interviews, news, and works. Learn more about our topics. And as always, ArchDaily values the contributions of our readers. If you would like to submit an article or a piece of work, please contact us.