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An important art style
pioneered by Pablo Picasso and
Georges Braque in the early
20th century. Cubism is avant-
garde in nature, meaning it was
experimental and radical.

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Louis Vauxcelles coined the
term “cubism” in 1908 after
observing the landscapes
painted by Braque and
remarking how the geometric
forms were “cubes.”
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 The use of linear perspective and the illusion of
depth favored by the Renaissance movement
were in stark contrast to the two-dimensionality
that Cubists worked to define. Cubist artists
depicted their subjects from multiple
perspectives simultaneously, working to
represent every angle of the subject on the flat
surface of a canvas and within a single picture
plane.

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 The use of linear perspective and the illusion of
depth favored by the Renaissance movement
were in stark contrast to the two-dimensionality
that Cubists worked to define. Cubist artists
depicted their subjects from multiple
perspectives simultaneously, working to
represent every angle of the subject on the flat
surface of a canvas and within a single picture
plane.

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 Cube-like imagery, as well as other geometric
forms like cones, spheres and cylinders often
appear in early Cubist paintings and again later
in the movement in Cubist sculptures. Cubists
felt they could portray a subject’s form more
accurately by using geometric shapes to
represent its various sides and angles.

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 Bright colors were not typically used in Cubist
paintings until much later in the movement.
Early Cubist painters favored tones of muted
gray, black and ochre over bold colors such as
green or pink. A simplified color scheme created
greater emphasis on the structure and form of
the subject matter.

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 Before Cubism, illusionistic painting treated the
picture plane as a window into a scene, where
subjects were depicted representationally and
painters created the illusion of reality within the
work. Cubists rejected illusion and believed that
all elements of a subject should be visible on the
painting’s picture plane. Cubists also thought of
this as a more honest depiction of reality in
comparison to their more traditional or
“academic” predecessors.

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GIRL WITH MANDOLIN, CLARINET, BOTTLE OF BASS, NEWS
1910 PAPER, ACE OF CLUBS, 1913
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From 1912, Cubism had become an
influential factor in terms of
architecture and the architects of
the movement borrowed heavily
from cubist art regarding
geometric forms and
shapes, diverse elements could be
superimposed, made transparent,
or penetrate one another.

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The common characteristics of the
buildings of this movement were:

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WOMAN WITH CANDLE RONCHAMP CHAPEL

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 Building has basic geometrical
design

Have sharp, clean lines, ensuring

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 Windows have cube rectangular
forms and are not at the same
level and height

Shapes and patterns were not

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Cubism Architecture brings out conceptions
like abstraction, geometrization, symbolism,
distortion, fragmentation, and illusion. The
buildings are characterized by sharp, clear
lines to enable perspective viewing. The
windows have a cubic or rectangular form and
do not necessarily line up with each other,
creating a revolutionary appearance. The use
of reinforced concrete structures also gave
cubism an edge in the building industry.

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ASSEMBLY BUILDING
IN CHANDIGARH
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CUBE HOUSES IN ROTTERDAM AND
HELMOND BY PIET BLOM AND
HOLMAN HOUSE
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Constructivist architecture was a form
of modern architecture that flourished
in the Soviet Union in the 1920s and
early 1930s. It combined
advanced technology and engineering
of the era with an
avowedly Communist social purpose.

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A central aim of Constructivist
architects was to instill the avant-garde
in everyday life. Constructivism was
literally about constructing the spaces
in which the new socialist utopia could
be achieved. This led to the creation of
utilitarian projects for the workers, as
well as outlandish projects like Gyorgy
Krutikov’s Flying City.
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The main characteristic of constructivism was the
application of 3D cubism to abstract and non-
objective elements. The style incorporated
straight lines, cylinders, cubes and rectangles;
and merged elements of the modern age such as
radio antennae, tension cables, concrete
frames and steel girders. The possibilities
of modern materials were also explored, such
as steel frames that supported
large areas of glazing, exposed rather than
concealed building joints, balconies and
sun decks.
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 The first and perhaps most
famous project was one an
unrealised proposal for Tatlin’s Tower,
the headquarters of the Comintern in
St. Petersburg.
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 Another famous early Constructivist
project was the Lenin Tribune by El
Lissitzky (1920), a moving speaker's
podium.
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 RUSAKOV CLUB BY MELNIKOV
Moscow
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RUSAKOV CLUB BY MELNIKOV
Moscow
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 NARKOMFIN BUILDING
Mosocw
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Constructivism has often been seen as an
alternative, more radical modernism, and its legacy
can be seen in designers as diverse as Team 10,
Archigram, and Kenzo Tange, as well as in much
Brutalist work. Their integration of the avant-garde
and everyday life has parallels with the
Situationists.
High-tech architecture also owes much to
Constructivism, most obviously in Richard Rogers’
Lloyd's building. Zaha Hadid's early projects were
adaptations of Malevich's Architektons, and the
influence of Chernikhov is clear on her drawings.
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