Minimalism: The Latest Architecture and News

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Modernism could be described as one of the most optimistic styles in architectural history, drawing from notions of utopia, innovation, and the reimagination of how humans would live, work, and interact. As we reflected in our AD Essentials Guide to Modernism, the philosophy of Modernism still dominates much of architectural discourse today, even if the world that gave rise to Modernism has changed utterly.

As we say goodbye to 2019, a year that saw the centenary of the Bauhaus, we have collated a list of key architectural styles that defined Modernism in architecture. This tool for understanding the development of 20th-century design is complete with examples of each style, showcasing the practice of Modernism that lay behind the theory.

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This article was made in partnership with Design Indaba, a website and annual festival that uncovers innovation for good. Click here to learn more about the annual event.

It took a few years and multiple failed career attempts for renowned minimalist designer John Pawson to truly enter the world of architecture. Though he’d cultivated an interest in design from a young age, he’d initially shied away due to his beliefs that he needed to be good at math and that design was an innate skill rather than something that could be taught.

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On March 1, 1967, João Batista Vilanova Artigas, Brazilian modernist architect, proffered at the College of Architecture and Urbanism of Sao Paulo University an inaugural lesson that marks his return to the university after the exile imposed by the Brazilian military coup. This lesson became one of the most influential concept to the next generation of Brazilian architects and we share here the entire speech.

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Are you in the market for a new set of minimalist earrings or a necklace inspired by the constructivist movement? You can now own all of this and more, with RIIA's line of minimalist-inspired jewelry. This Los Angeles-based jewelry designer is removing the overly decorative elements in jewelry and bringing to light the beauty of pure forms.

The launch of a building in downtown São Paulo - Brazil was the talk of the town due to its surprising apartment sizes of only 10 square meters. This raised the debate about the market trend to produce ever smaller properties and the ability of these properties to meet the needs of its residents. 

There is no doubt that, this type of real estate is related to newest trends of family compositions. It is increasingly common for residences to be occupied by only one person, or at most two. According to data from the SEADE Foundation for 2010, in the State of São Paulo, almost 40% of households have these characteristic, 13% of which is made up of a single resident.

Without a doubt, it is interesting to enjoy architecture from a new perspective. Minimalist photography, characterized by clean compositions where geometry and abstraction take center stage, is one of the most popular trends when it comes to documenting architecture. In celebration of this distinctive photographic style, we have selected 14 minimalist images by prominent photographers such as Joel Filipe, Sebastian Weiss, and Nelson Garrido.

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Global photography community and marketplace EyeEm has announced the winners of their Minimalist Architecture Photography Mission to find photos that best highlight “the beauty of minimalism in architecture.” Organized alongside art and design blog We and the Color, the competition saw photographers from across the globe submit over 45,000 images focusing on the color, lines, shapes, and compositions of contemporary, minimalist architecture.

From the entries, 20 images were selected as winners with a top 3 was chosen by German minimalist photographer Matthias Heiderich. Read on to see the full list of winners.

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Bergamo, Italy-based architect and artist Francesco Ravasio has launched Archiposters, a series of minimalist architecture posters, on Kickstarter.

Drawn from his own point of view and style, Ravasio has utilized graphic design to represent architecture from 1931 through 2013, featuring buildings like I.M. Pei's Louvre Pyramid and Zaha Hadid's Riverside Museum.

The Archiposters project is not only comprised of A2 sized posters, but also includes A5 sized postcards. 12 buildings are featured on the designs: