The conceptual context of Art Deco architecture

Abstract

Both theorically and practically, Art Deco is accepted as an architectural field of production, after postmodernism had changed modern architecture. Although it is known as a popular and decorative style, which had been born after the famous 1925 Paris exhibition, contemporary literature accepts a concept of Deco architecture, which has a diversity both in form and composition. The thesis tries to define basic design motivations and dynamics which produced Art Deco. The method followed by the thesis was to analyze the works of famous architects and schools, which created modern paradigm in architecture, in opposition to so called Art Deco. The aim of the thesis was not to point out basic characteristics of Art Deco, as a style, because even architectural avant-garde is accepted as part of Deco ensemble. This is not a conceptual or theoretical belonging, but it should be understood as architectural application, realization and building activity. Theses motivations, which were defined as Classicism, Cubism, Streamlining, were explained as forming dynamics of a populist attitude in design. The result is a concept of modernity in architecture, in which, on one hand, both history and tradition stand side by side with avantgarde and new, while at the other hand, the perception of a fusion, in which modern abstraction of the traditional and the image of the total abstraction intersect. As the concept of Art Deco is accepted as a definitive motivation in architectural design, the term Deco is chosen in order to define more then a decorative style.

Özet

Art Deco modern mimarlığın tarihinde Postmodernizm’in mümkün kıldığı kuramsal değişikliklerle meşrulaşmış bir bilgi alanıdır. 1925 tarihli bir serginin dünyaya tanıttığı popüler, dekoratif bir üslup olarak kabul edilse de, 2. Dünya Savaşı’nın sonuna dek gerçekleşen mimari üretimin birbirinden çok farklı biçimleri günümüzde bu isimle adlandırılabilmektedir. Tez bu doğrultuda, Art Deco mimarlığı olarak kabul edilebilen olgunun içinde, üslup özellikleri değil, biçim verici dinamikleri, motivasyonları, belli başlıklar altında saptamaya yönelik bir denemedir. Yöntem bu dinamikleri modern mimarlığın tarihinin ünlü okul ve isimlerinin yapıtlarında saptamak, amaçsa modern mimarlığın kuramsal değil, gerçek, popülist içeriğine ulaşmaktır. Bu doğrultuda basit, dekoratif bir üsluptan öte bir motivasyona işaret edildiğinden Deco terimi Art Deco olarak kastedilen estetiğin göstereni olarak önerilmiştir.