International Style vs Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne was influenced by International Style — drifted toward functionalist austerity and smooth surfaces.
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
Streamline Moderne
The aerodynamic, late phase of Deco — curved corners, smooth horizontal lines, and a nautical, machine-for-speed look.
- Rounded, curved corners
- Long horizontal lines and banding ('speed stripes')
- Smooth, unornamented stucco surfaces (often white/pastel)
- Porthole windows and nautical detailing
- Flat roofs and a sense of aerodynamic motion
At a glance
| International Style | Streamline Moderne | |
|---|---|---|
| Era | 1920s–1970s | 1930s–1940s |
| Discipline | Architecture | Architecture |
| Region | Germany, Worldwide | United States, Worldwide |
| Family | Modernism | Deco family, Modernism |
| Formal traits | geometric, minimal, functional, unornamented | geometric, curved, minimal, aerodynamic |
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