Futurist Architecture
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Futurist architecture (or Futurism) began as an early-20th century form of architecture characterized by anti-historicism and long horizontal lines suggesting speed, motion and urgency. This artistic movement started in Italy and lasted from 1909 to 1944. It was animated by the poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, and works by notable figures such as architect Antonio Sant'Elia and the artists Umberto Boccioni, Giacomo Balla, Fortunato Depero, Enrico Prampolini. Futurist forms suggest speed, dynamism and strong expressivity, in an effort to make architecture belonging to modern times.
After its inception, Futurism has become a more generic word to designate the broad trend in modern design which aspires to create a sort of prophetical architecture, thought to belong at least 10 years into the future. Modern futurism largely began with the car culture-inspired Googie architecture of 1950s California and subsequent Space Age trends. Futurism is not a style but an open approach to architecture, so it has been reinterpreted by different generations of architects across several decades, but is usually marked by striking shapes, dynamic lines, strong contrasts and use of advanced materials.
Architects who have been influential in futurist architecture include:
- Virgilio Marchi
- Louis Armet
- Welton Becket
- Arthur Erickson
- Wayne McAllister
- Oscar Niemeyer
- William Pereira
- Zaha Hadid
- Frank Gehry
- Archigram
- Future Systems
Popular examples of modern futurism
- Tomorrowland, at Disneyland in Anaheim, is perhaps the most famous outpost of futurism in the world.
- Epcot Center, Walt Disney World, Florida
- Space Needle, Seattle (Victor Steinbruck, 1963)
- Theme Building, Los Angeles International Airport (James Langenheim, 1961)
- Oakley clothing stores
- Capitol Records building, Los Angeles (Welton Becket, 1956)
- Fiat Tagliero Building, Asmara, Eritrea (Giuseppe Pettazzi, [[1938)
- Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai (Jia Huan Sheng, 1995)
- Transamerica Pyramid, San Francisco (William Pereira, 1974)
- Burj al-Arab hotel, Dubai (Thomas Wright, 1999)
- The Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles (John Portman, 1976)
- Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York (Wallace Harrison, 1965-1978)
- Oral Roberts University (Frank Wallace, 1965)
- The Federal District of Brasilia, Brazil (Oscar Niemeyer, 1960)
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