Eli5: What is modernism and post-modernism?
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In architecture, the modernist style is very neat and ordered. Lots of symmetry, rectangles, grids, and windows. It’s fairly minimalist without a lot of decoration and uses flat colors like grey and white. Surfaces are large and flat, without depth. It’s meant to feel efficient, and impersonal. Very corporate. They use mostly concrete and glass as materials. Modernist buildings aren’t really meant to be noticed.
Postmodernism is a rejection of modernism, a counter movement. It often features weird angles, rounded pieces, and asymmetry. It uses imagery and differences in depth to make interesting forms. It tries to draw your attention to it, to be looked at and considered. It may feature decorations or bright colors, though it usually avoids especially intricate decorations. Its also more open with materials selection, lots of glass and steel sheeting with less exposed concrete. Sometimes it will even use plants and the like. It might use combinations of aspects from other styles in an almost satirical way. Some examples border on dr Seuss levels of absurdity.
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