Modern Forms

Modernism is a complex and fluid term which refers to a cultural movement that includes art, architecture, music, literature, and design. While the tenets of modernism changed with the capricious milieu of the late-19th to early-20 th centuries, the over arching goal was to reject or overthrow traditional art practices in favour of new and creative approaches. An example of modernist architecture is the International Style. Stylistic features include a focus on rectangular and horizontal shapes, lack of ornamentation, and smooth or stucco-white surfaces. The German-school of Bauhaus exemplifies this style.

Postmodern architecture, which flourished in the 1950s, was a reaction to and rejection of modernism. Postmodernism opposed the “functional and formalized” elements of modernism, instead opting for a diverse aesthetic. This kind of architecture adopts various styles from the past, incorporates disparate materials and colors, and includes unusual surfaces and ornamentation. Douglas Cardinal’s designs reflect the postmodernist thinking as his buildings marry various materials – from cedar to cement – and boast unique and sculptural-like shapes.

Cardinal has been called the creator of an indigenous style of architecture that has been described as being organic and curvilinear. Cardinal sees architecture as an art that creates built environments that are in harmony within the urban and natural spaces.

Douglas Cardinal’s largest commission was the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec. Cardinal has shown his distinctive style in Alberta buildings like the Grande Prairie Regional College, St. Mary’s Church in Red Deer, the Government Services Centre in Ponoka, the Edmonton Space and Sciences Centre, and St. Albert Place, also known as St. Albert Civic and Cultural Centre.

For more information about modern architecture in Alberta click here.

Wikipedia, s.v. “Postmodern Architecture,”

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For more information about modern architecture in Alberta click here.

Consider the shape and form of these natural formations while relating them to the various buildings you have seen. Do some large skyscrapers suggest mountain tops? Could a cliff be related to the glass faces of some buildings?