Examining the ‘Post-Functional’ Context in The International Style: Architecture since 1922 (1932)

초록

"This study examines the ‘Post-Functional’ context revealed in The International Style: Architecture since 1922 (1932), one of the earliest analyses of the Modern Movement in architecture which flourished between 1922 and 1931. Authors, Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, incorporated various advancements in modernism traditionally equated with functionalism. However, in the book’s preface, Alfred Barr Jr. noted that ‘Post-Functional’ was initially considered as a term for this new architectural style instead of ‘International,’ challenging the common association between modernism and functionalism. This study clarifies the concept of ‘Post-Functionalism’ by analyzing the original text of The International Style and the evolving meanings of function in architecture since the eighteenth century. Hitchcock and Johnson criticized ‘anti-aesthetic functionalists’ for neglecting the artistic dimension of architecture and highlighted architects who moved beyond rigid functionalist constraints. In this context, ‘Post-Functionalism’ can be understood as ‘aesthetic functionalism,’ addressing the limitations of excessive emphasis on economy and efficiency. While The International Style has faced criticism for its aesthetic-centric view of modern architecture, a closer analysis provides deeper insight into the book’s intentions, the complexity of architectural modernism, and a broader reconsideration of the concept of function in architecture. © 2025 Architectural Institute of Korea.

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