The Legacy of Austerity and the International Style

Important aspects first expressed by propagators of the International Style:
“The activity in architecture and design is about significance.” (Mies van der Rohe)
“If you need decoration, your design has faults.” (LeCorbusier)
“Streamline everything.” (Raymond Loewy)

Important aspects first expressed by propagators of Austerity:
“Do what you can with what little you’ve got.”
“Substitute ambiguity with refinement.” (as seen in Walter Gropius’s Lakeshore Drive buildings; the staged radii, proportioning systems, economy of material through optimized concept)



Consider this in your workbook:
Are we adhering to any utopian ideas today in product design? Which ones?
What is your opinion on the work of Kaara Klint and Charles Eames?