The Steedman Architectural Collection

Art Deco - Streamlining Design

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  • About this Collection

    Art Deco/Art Moderne are two ends of what is really a single style, which has its roots in Gothic verticality, but which leans toward the simplicity of Modern.

    Popular during the 1920s and 1930s, Art Deco uses somewhat more decoration, while Art Moderne tends to have smoother, more streamlined shapes. Setbacks are commonly used to reduce building mass and to emphasize the vertical, receding gradually from the street in gentle and carefully positioned steps.

    Prominent examples of Art Deco buildings include the Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center in New York and the South Beach section of Miami Beach in Florida.

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    House of a Collector at the 1925 Art Deco exposition in Paris

    Pavilion of a 'collectionneur' (House of a Collector) at the 'Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne', held in Paris in 1925. This was an adaptation by architect Pierre Patout of the house he had designed for famed designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. The stepped profile and large stylized human figures are typical Art Deco features.

    This elegant pavilion became one of the most popular displays at the exhibition. Ruhlmann assembled a team of the top interior designers to create what is considered to be the epitome of French Art Deco style.

    This photograph appears in the exposition's catalog of buildings and gardens.

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    Belgian pavilion at the 1925 Art Deco exposition in Paris

    The Belgian pavillion at the 'Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne', held in Paris in 1925. This Art Nouveau style building was designed by Belgian architect Victor Horta. Although most famous for its Art Deco buildings and designs, the exposition featured several other contemporary styles.

    This image appears in the exposition's catalog of buildings and gardens.

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    Front cover of the catalog of buildings and gardens of the 1925 Art Deco exposition

    The 'Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne', held in Paris in 1925, introduced and celebrated the latest trends in design, and ultimately gave the streamlined style now known as 'Art Deco' its name.

    This volume is the catalog of the Buildings and Gardens section of the exposition. Its green and silver leaf binding is a striking example of the new style, in all its bold simplicity and verticality.

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    Lalique Dining Room at the 1925 Art Deco exposition in Paris

    The Dining Room of the Pavillon Lalique at the 'Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne', designed and decorated by the legendary glass designer René Lalique.

    Held in Paris in 1925, this exhibition introduced and celebrated the latest trends in design, and ultimately gave the streamlined style now known as 'Art Deco' its name.

    This image appears in the catalog of the buildings and gardens section of the exhibition.

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    Lalique fountain at the 1925 Art Deco exposition in Paris

    A night view of a glass fountain designed by famed designer René Lalique. This 45 foot high fountain became one of the symbols of the 'Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne'.

    This exposition, held in Paris in 1925, introduced and celebrated the latest trends in design, and ultimately gave the streamlined style now known as 'Art Deco' its name.

    This photograph appears in the exposition's catalog of buildings and gardens.

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    Map of the 1925 Art Deco exposition in Paris

    Map of the grounds of the 'Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne', held in Paris in 1925. Popularly known as the 'Art Deco' exhibition, it introduced and celebrated the latest trends in design. It was set up on both sides of the river Seine, connected by the Pont Alexandre III.

    This image is from the catalog of the buildings and gardens section of the exposition.

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    Pavilion of Lyons and St. Etienne at the 1925 Art Deco exposition in Paris

    Pavilion at the 'Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne' sponsored by the cities of Lyons and Saint-Etienne. It was designed by Tony Garnier, the modernist architect and theorist who had published Une Cité Industrielle in 1918.

    This exposition, held in Paris in 1925, introduced and celebrated the latest trends in design, and ultimately gave the streamlined style now known as 'Art Deco' its name.

    This image appears in the exposition's catalog of buildings and gardens.

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    Port d'Orsay, one of the entrances to the 1925 Art Deco exposition in Paris

    The 'Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne', was held in Paris in 1925. Popularly known as the 'Art Deco' exhibition, it introduced and celebrated the latest trends in design.

    Pictured here is the Porte d'Orsay, one of the many entrances to the exhibition. The tall, squarish, unadorned lettering was a radically new design at the time.

    This photograph is from the exposition's catalog of buildings and gardens.

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    Tourism and Information pavilion at the 1925 Art Deco exposition in Paris

    Exterior of the Pavillon des Renseignements et du Tourisme (information and tourism), designed by Rob Mallet-Stevens. Mallet-Stevens (1886-1945) was a leading French modernist architect, stage designer, and writer.

    The 'Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Moderne', held in Paris in 1925, introduced and celebrated the latest trends in design, and ultimately gave the streamlined style now known as 'Art Deco' its name.

    This image appears in the catalog of the buildings and gardens section of the exhibition.

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    Art Center in Ferriss' modernistic future city

    A section of Hugh Ferriss' The Metropolis of Tomorrow sought to create an entire city of the future. This is his 'Art Center', actually a zone much like Tony Garnier's educational zone in Une Cité Industrielle.

    Ferriss produced his atmospheric and visionary book in 1929.

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