Constructivism vs International Style
Constructivism is the cross-discipline counterpart of International Style — shared modernist abstraction; constructivism more politically charged.
Constructivism
The avant-garde architecture of the early Soviet Union — abstract, dynamic geometry and exposed structure put in the service of a new social order.
- Abstract, dynamic geometry and asymmetry
- Exposed structure and modern materials (concrete, steel, glass)
- Cantilevers and bold horizontal/vertical contrasts
- Architecture as a 'social condenser' for collective life
- Industrial, machine-inspired forms
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
| Constructivism | International Style | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 1915–1935 | 1920s–1970s |
| Discipline | Architecture | Architecture |
| Region | Russia, Soviet Union | Germany, Worldwide |
| Family | Modernism | Modernism |
| Formal traits | geometric, dynamic, industrial, asymmetrical | geometric, minimal, functional, unornamented |
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