Art Deco vs International Style
Art Deco is the cross-discipline counterpart of International Style — parallel machine-age modernisms; shared geometry, opposed philosophies (decoration vs. function).
Art Deco
Glamorous machine-age modernism — bold geometry, stepped setbacks, and stylized ornament that made the skyscraper feel like the future.
- Stepped 'setback' massing that tapers as it rises
- Strong vertical piers emphasizing height
- Geometric ornament: zigzags, chevrons, sunbursts
- Banded or ribbon windows with decorative spandrels
- Stylized, machine-age decorative motifs
International Style
The austere, functional modernism of glass curtain walls and unornamented volumes — 'form follows function' built in steel and glass.
- Rectilinear, volumetric forms with flat roofs
- Glass curtain walls and ribbon windows
- No applied ornament — 'form follows function'
- Exposed structural grid; steel and reinforced concrete
- Open, flexible floor plans raised on pilotis in some works
At a glance
| Art Deco | International Style | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 1910s–1940 | 1920s–1970s |
| Discipline | Architecture | Architecture |
| Region | United States, France, Worldwide | Germany, Worldwide |
| Family | Deco family | Modernism |
| Formal traits | geometric, ornamental, stepped, luxurious | geometric, minimal, functional, unornamented |
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