As is often the case, new trends in art and aesthetic innovations, instead of finding a response in the hearts and minds of people, cause only protest and rejection. And this is happening not only now, at all times, most people completely rejected all new, exalting the old. Modern architecture was no exception, although the manifestation and development of new artistic trends and have remained misunderstood, despite the fact that the iconic projects quite successfully implemented.

Industrial and geometric high-tech in architecture

Buildings in the style of industrial high-tech are increasingly gracing the business districts of metropolitan areas.

New aesthetic trends in art do not skirt and architecture. Take, for example, the style of high-tech (hi-tech, short for high technology – high technology), which is firmly embedded not only in our interiors, its elements can be found in the architecture and even in clothing. And this direction began in the 1970’s, more precisely, it came to replace the late modernism, while maintaining the high technology inherent in science fiction and the complex simplicity of pragmatism.

The use of high technology in the design and creation of a new generation of building materials; clear structure in both construction and engineering; emphasis on functionality; simple shapes and straight lines; the abundance of glass, metal, concrete and mirrors; decentralized lighting; minimal use of decor – these are the main features of modern style high-tech, which is really impressive.

According to its aesthetic orientation and principles of organization of space, high-tech is divided into industrial and geometric. In the first case, on the facade of the building we can see the architectural details and engineering communications, which are located inside the structure – elevators, piping, stairs, ventilation and other engineering elements. You can also observe and uncovered metal structures, which are associated with the storehouses.

Built in the hi-tech 

Built in the hi-tech  style was the Georges Pompidou National Center of Arts and Culture (Paris), designed by Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and Gianfranco Franchini. It is not difficult to imagine how the French and the world community reacted to such a creation in 1977. Everyone unanimously called the Centre Georges-Pompidou an oil refinery, which in no way resembled a place intended to be a contemporary art center. After a while passions subsided, many people reconsidered their views and now the extravagant building is considered to be the main style icon of France.

If we talk about geometric high-tech, it is based on complex geometric and load-bearing details, incredible proportions and ultra-modern frame-and-pillar structures. In this type of building is widely used not only special structural elements, but also flexible “strings”, hanging covers, cable (suspended) parts, cable nets, membrane slabs, all that is able to stretch.

In the first and second trends the main building material were metal and glass. Well this is understandable, because you can create freakishly shaped structures with metal, and large-scale glazing makes the buildings more impressive and attractive.

The bright ideologists of high-tech style are;

• Richard Rogers, 
• Norman Foster, 
• Renzo Piano,
• James Stirling, 
• Nikolag Grimshaw and others.

Bio-tech or organic (bionic) architecture

The snow-white creations of Santiago Calatrava whose “wings” change their position depending on the movement of the sun.

An impressive offshoot of the high-tech style is bionics, which is very much a part of modern life, and not only in architecture.

Recall: Bionics (from the Greek bion – element of life or living) – is an applied science based on the application in technical devices and systems principles of organization, properties, functions and structures inherent in living nature. Since the basics of bionics are quite applicable in the construction of buildings, the brilliant architect of the early twentieth century, Frank Lloyd Wright, began to develop fantastic projects that at the time seemed complete madness and fantasy.

A hundred years later, no one will be surprised by beautiful buildings, built in the style of bio-tech, which arouse admiration for their natural forms, reminiscent of mountain elephants or caves, sea waves or a drop of water, and even at all ornate structure of living creatures or human DNA construction. And if we add intelligent technologies that allow you to control engineering communications, up to changing the structural and structural features of buildings, then we can consider that the fantastic future has already arrived.

Thanks to bionics, architecture is no longer boring and monotonous.

The title “father of bionics” undoubtedly belongs to Leonardo da Vinci, but speaking of contemporary architects, it is worth noting the unreal projects of Santiago Calatrava, who works only in this style, Nicholas Grimshaw, Boris Levinzon, Greg Lynn, Ken Young, Michael Sorkin, Jan Kaplitsky, Norman Foster and others.

Radical freedom of forms of deconstructivism

Thanks to this new movement in architecture we can see ‘dancing’ and ‘falling’ houses in the streets of cities.

Thanks to the new trend in architecture on the streets of cities can be seen “dancing” and “falling” houses.

In the late 1980s, appeared quite strange, one might even say frightening style called – deconstructivism. For the first time projects implemented in such an expressive direction, which encourages radical freedom of form, appeared in Los Angeles and in some European countries. The clear opposition to the main generally accepted trends and canons of architecture, as well as the violation of certain laws of physics and all imaginable and unimaginable construction norms, aroused the rejection and violent condemnation among the majority of people.

The architectural objects of the deconstructivists are not to be confused with any other trend in art.

But despite the deliberate expression, deconstructivism quickly gained popularity and now it is considered one of the most unexpected and creative styles, allowing to realize in the construction of buildings so crazy ideas that it is amazing how such an object can stand firmly on the ground without falling from a blow of the wind.

Broken shapes, fragmentation, indirect design, asymmetry, a violation of the relationship of vertical and horizontal planes, complex structural elements, visual aggression, a distortion of the principles and compositional motives (as opposed to traditional construction) – all this opposes pragmatism and attracts attention, despite the fact that to understand some elements is almost impossible.

It is worth noting that the rebellious design of deconstructivism is a bright link in the postmodern avant-garde art, which appeared due to computer design used in the aerospace industry.

The most famous representatives of deconstructivism who have achieved worldwide recognition are: 

• Frank Gehry, 
• Peter Eisenman, 
• Zaha Hadid, 
• Rem Koolhaas, 
• Daniel Libeskind, 
• Jean Nouvel, 
• Wolf Detre Pricks, 
• Ma Jansson, 
• Hiromi Fuji, etc.

The youngest style, dubbed blob

The fluidity of architectural forms can only be achieved through innovative building materials and computer programming.

The fluidity of forms of architectural objects can be achieved only through innovative building materials and computer programming.

Despite the fact that the recently emerged trend in art and architecture, including, has not yet fully formed, it can rightfully be considered a worthy continuation of bio-technology. Only in this case the amorphous forms of blob (not to be confused with the abbreviation of electronic blob-design “b.l.o.b.”) look more like a huge drop slowly flowing down the surface. This resemblance and fluidity was the impetus for calling this new direction (blob means drop). Although computer modeling programs played a fundamental role in the emergence and development of blob, which is an unexpected transformation of postmodernism.

These are not giant aliens from other planets, these are blob-inspired architectural masterpieces.

The main difference between blob and postmodern and high-tech is not so much the shape of the building, but the design process itself. In this case, the form is created not by physical models, but with the help of software, using digital modeling and 3D-visualization.

Prominent representatives of “fluid” architecture are: 

• Lars Spybrook, 
• Greg Lynn, 
• Peter Cook, 
• Colin Fournier.

“Green” architecture

Vertical gardening can help save megacities, especially in hot climates.

Although there is no such thing as “green” architecture, it is nevertheless inextricably linked to organic architecture and the future of humanity. If you look at the nominees for prestigious architectural awards, you can immediately understand that in today’s construction it is not style that plays the main role, but energy efficiency and environmental safety of the building/construction.

More and more often, architects are integrating buildings and entire residential complexes into the natural landscape.

More and more often architects integrate buildings and entire residential complexes into the natural landscape.

Modern architects, when designing a new facility, try to increase the energy efficiency of the building, while reducing the negative impact on both the environment and human health. To do this, only:

• eco-materials, 
• eco-technologies, as well as the potential of the environment: 
• renewable energy sources (sun, wind, water), 
• plants (vertical gardening, “green” roofs), 
• land and water (creating underground or underwater objects).

Jean Nouvel, Vincent Callebaut, Thomas Heatherwick, Stefano Boeri, Ken Young, Daniel Libeskind, Kengo Kuma, Peter Noever, Peter Wetsch, Obi Bowman and others are the best green projects. Although recently famous architectural companies also do not deprive themselves of the pleasure to create exotic vertical jungle with organic forms of buildings among the largest cities in the world.

Public toilets on the streets of Japan may also be attributed to the style of high-tech, because they are built of glass and steel structures.