Protomoderism

 Protomoderism occurred during the years 1897 to 1959 which happened during the Arts and Craft Movement as well as the Art Nouveau. The idea of Protomoderism is basically "the prototype of things to come" and wanting to change the Victoria and Industrial Style while also rejecting ornamentation and Historical Styles. Moving away from these eras and styles, Protomderism is the beginning of modernism with design characteristics of linear geometric forms, bold style, primary shape and colors, functionality, and inexpensive materials used in design. 

While Protomodernism is very broad era, there are a few movements within the Protomoderism. These movements come from Germany (Deutscher Werkbund Movement), Austria (Vienna Secession), Netherlands (De Stijl), and the United States (Frank Lloyd Wright- Prairie Style). To understand the Protomoderism to the fullest, it is important to look at these different styles and movements and their impact on modern architecture and design. 

Deutscher Werkbund Movement

The Deutscher Werkbund Movement started in Munich, Germany in 1892 and moved its way through Berlin, Germany in 1899. To accomplish a new design and underpinning of modernism; this movement caused for designers, architects, craftsman, businessmen, and manufactures that wanted to create a new way of design that included nature and using linear geometric shapes. This was an important event in the movement because it was the first collaboration between designers and manufactories in creating new design styles. In the end, they came up with bold, linear, modern, and disdained ordination. With the use of machinery that was used, it allowed designers and manufactures to be apart of a mass production and industrial design. Overall, the Deustcher Werkbund Movement created the International Style and Art Deco Style.

Werkbund Exhibition of 1914 was an exhibition that set the standards of what Germany was able to produce when designers, architects, engineers, manufactures, and businesses people came together. They all valued and sticked to embracing the machinery industry which allowed people to see the advancements Germany gained over time from other periods. 

Werkbund Exhibition featured the characteristics of the Deutscher Werkbund Movement by implementing linear lines across the dome and giving a modern take by using glass. Overall, just the use of machinery and designing based on industrial design. 

                                                                                                   Pictured above in the Werkbund Exhibition of 1914

Vienna Secession

The Vienna Secession could be classified under the Deustcher Werkbund Movement, however there are many key ideas of Protomoderism that were established in the Vienna Secession. Vienna Secession came to be by design and artist Otto Wagner and Adolf Loss. While these two men were in agreence to making a new style that went away from Art Noueva and involved a more modern take. While they had the same passion for Protomoderism, their styles of design were quite different.

Otto Wagner was a designer, architect, and urban planner who believed in functional design with the use of industrial style and construction method. Otto also believed in keeping up with human society and wanted to create work out of new material that was "available, workable, durable, and economically" beneficial that achieved producing high quality design. The image of the architecture and chair of Postal Saving Bank of 1904 in Vienna by Wagner showcased just that. 

Pictured above is Otto Wagner

With the idea of creating a Bank for society, Wagner conveying a sense of security in the deisgn by designning a strong structure with the intent of people feeling safe in the bank.  The exterior consist of natural coloring with the use of aluminum material, which was a new material in design. 

Pictured to the left is the Postal Saving Bank

                                                                                                    Pictured to the right is the Wagner chair

Not only was Wagner best known for designing interior and exterior parts of buildings, but he also designed furniture for the interior. The chairs used in the bank such as the arm chair, was built out of plywood, metal braces, beechwood, and aluminum due to the inexpensiveness and available material. 

Image below is a portrait Adolf Loos

Similarly, Adolf Loos designed spaces based on functionality and practicality. Loos was an Austrian architect and theorist who was influenced by the Arts and Craft Movement which is why his furniture was hand made. An example of Loos work with the inspiration of the Arts and Crafts Movement would be his work on the Cafe Museum.

                                                      Pictured below is the Cafe Museum Designed by Loos

In the picture of the interior, the space can be seen as very functional with the layout being open but also having a lot of tables and chairs for a large capacity to be present. Looking at the photo, the Cafe Museum Chair is also present which is hand made from wood. Loos was different in Wagners materials used because Loos used rich materials for the interior such as reddish brown coral wood, translucent yellow onyx panel, and leather. 

Overall, Vienna Secession was a period that was about exploring new materials and designing new chairs, tables, and furniture. With the idea of having geometric shapes, the image of the modern application of the Vienna Secession showcases the linear and geometric shapes used with also the neutral look. 

Pictured above is a modern application of the Vienna Secession               

De Stijl 

De Stijl meaning is "the style" which gets its name from the Netherlands in 1917 of wanting to be apart of the Poromoderism movement while also creating a new form of it. De Stijl is different from these other movements shown above because it is not based on nature; the movement uses primary colors instead of neutral. De Stijl still keeps Protoderism characteristics of simplistic, linear geometric shapes going vertical and horizontal, and emphasizing flat surfaces. The two main designers apart of this movement are Gerrit Rietveld and Piet. 

Pictured above is a modern application of De Stijl

Pictured below is Rierveld Home

Gerrit Rierveld is a main designer who based his designs off of mass for all, meaning making furniture that was inexpensive and easy. These materials were similar to Otto Wagner of using plywood, sheet metal, and beechwood. As seen in the image of Rierveld house, it was inspired on primary colors, industrial hardware, and functionality.

While Rierveld was the main designer and architect, Piet Mondrian was an artist who designed his paintings around complementing Riervelds work. This include using geometric and primary colors in his artwork. Mondrian valued harmony and wanted to create work that centralized nature. 

Pictured to the left is Piet Mondrians work

Prairie Style

The Prairie Style is a well known design style created by famous architect,
Frank Lloyd Wright. This style focuses on windows, nature, and views. Having windows throughout allows there to be a connection of nature with the interior of the home. This design style is inspired by the Japanese Art Style of allowing the interior space to have a calm feeling by the connection of nature. 

Image to the left is a portrait of Frank Lloyd Wright

Horizontal lines are a main feature in the Prairie Style which replicates the mid-west design. With that said, the mid-west is full of landscape fields which Wright took into consideration by basing his color palette to mid-western nature. 

Pictured to the left is a modern application of the Prairie Style

The Robbie House is a clear example of the use of horizontal lines in the Prairie Style. The house is more horizontally designed making the house feel more connected to nature. With the open concept and windows placed on the exterior walls, it captivates the feeling more. Using natural material and brick coloring, gives it mid-western feel. 

Pictured above is the Robbie House 

One Step Further 

Josef Hoffman was an architect for 50 years during the early 1900s. He focused more on producing furniture, textiles, and metal work while making it innovated and progressed. With the inspiration of the English Arts and Crafts, he created designs with geometric lines, cubes, and squares. 

Pictured above is a portrait of Josef Hoffman

With that said, Hoffmann created the Kubus Chair in 1910 that focuses on using square and angular design. Not only is the actual chair a cubic shape, but also features repetition of cubic design in the chair. It is made out of a hardwood frame from the inspiration of Arts and Craft Movement from William Morris. 

                                                                                             

                                                                                   Pictured above is the Kubus Chair

Extra Sources

History and Art of Protomoderism-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKomOqYU4Mw

Praire Style of Modern Architect Frank Lloyd Wright-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HA7g8m5Tyo