Mid-Century Modern Architecture

Mid-century modern architecture, often abbreviated MCM, is a style of building design popular from 1945 to 1970, most prominent in North America, Brazil and Europe, characterized by clean, simple lines and a deliberate lack of surface embellishment. Its exteriors typically feature expansive widths, low horizontal profiles, floor to ceiling windows, partial glass or brick walls and flat rooflines, while interiors favor open floor plans, exposed ceiling beams and short connecting staircases integrated into ergonomic, informally arranged living spaces. The style drew directly on the International Style and Bauhaus movements through the American work of designers including Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, while Brazilian and Scandinavian architects contributed their own emphasis on clean simplicity and integration with natural surroundings. Mid-century modern design became especially associated with suburban residential building in postwar America, where it helped carry modernist architectural principles beyond high profile public and corporate commissions into ordinary middle class homes.