Art Moderne
Art Moderne, also known as ‘Streamline Moderne’, is an architectural style that developed out of 1930s Art Deco. It was seen as a response to the Great Depression, designing buildings to be more streamlined and austere as opposed to the ambitious, opulent forms of Art Deco.
Buildings of the Art Moderne style were designed to emphasise simple geometry, incorporating curving forms, long horizontal lines and occasionally nautical elements.
The European Bauhaus movement was influential on American designers who adopted the principle of taking classical architecture in its simplest form, stripped of ornamentation or ‘excess’, unlike the chevrons, zigzags and decoration of Art Deco.
Art Moderne buildings were typically designed in low, horizontal shapes as opposed to Art Deco’s tendency towards tall and vertical buildings. They were also usually white, whereas Art Deco buildings embraced colour. The sharp angles of Art Deco were replaced with simple, aerodynamic curves. Exotic timbers and stone were replaced with stucco, cement and glass.
Some of the most common characteristics of the Art Moderne style include:
- Low, horizontal and asymmetrical.
- Flat roofs with no eaves.
- Rounded corners.
- Smooth, white walls.
- Wraparound, porthole and glass block windows.
- Steel balustrades.
Some of the well-known built examples include:
- The Normandie Hotel, San Juan (see top image).
- Daily Express Building, Manchester.
- Midland Hotel, Morecambe.
- Ford Building, San Diego.
- De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea.
- Coca-Cola Building, Los Angeles (see above).
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Architectural styles.
- Art Deco.
- Art Nouveau.
- Arts and craft movement.
- Bauhaus.
- Beaux Arts style.
- Chicago school of architecture.
- Classical Revival style.
- Constructivist architecture.
- Deconstructivism.
- Futurist architecture.
- Italian Renaissance revival style.
- Metabolism.
- Mimetic architecture.
- Modern building.
- Modernist architecture.
- PWA Moderne.
- Skyscraper.
- Spanish Colonial revival style.
- Tudor revival style.
Featured articles and news
C20 Society; Buildings at Risk List 2025
10 more buildings published with updates on the past decade of buildings featured.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme and certifications consultation
Summary of government consultation, closing 11 June 2025.
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
From project managers to rising stars, sustainability pioneers and more.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.