Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style
Design authority Architectural Digest celebrates its best articles from the past 100 issues. Archival research yielded years of high-quality content on various topics. Read More →
January 31, 2025
Architecture, in its essence, is a grand tapestry of applied and decorative arts, each strand woven into the very fabric of the buildings that punctuate our skylines. As much a functional endeavour as it is an artistic statement, architecture harmonizes the pragmatism of space planning with the aesthetic allure of decorative detail. From the ornate ironwork gracing the balconies of French Haussmann buildings to the intricate wood carvings that adorn the eaves of traditional Japanese homes, architectural design serves as a canvas for craftsmen and artisans. It is in this interstitial space that utility meets beauty, where the materiality of ceramics, textiles, glass, and metals transcends mere construction to echo the cultural and historical idiosyncrasies of their time. Through the lens of applied and decorative arts, architecture becomes more than just structures—it evolves into a living narrative, encapsulating the zenith of human creativity and the tangible embodiment of our aesthetic heritage.
Design authority Architectural Digest celebrates its best articles from the past 100 issues. Archival research yielded years of high-quality content on various topics. Read More →
Pierre Patout (1879-1965) was a French architect and interior designer known for pioneering Streamline Moderne design and his role in the Art Deco movement.Read More →
Nigel Coates, a UK architect, co-founded Branson Coates and founded NATO. His work melds architecture with street culture, impacting urban design. He also designed the Capriol chair.Read More →
Alberto Rosselli was an influential Italian architect and designer known for his work in Milan, including the Jumbo Chair and Pirelli Tower, and significant contributions to industrial design education.Read More →
‘Adhocism’ ideas were coined in their book Adhocism: The Case for Improvisation by architect, theoretician, former Designer Charles Jencks and Nathan Silver (1972). Read More →
Charles Gwathmey was an influential American architect known for the Guggenheim Museum expansion and significant contributions to architecture education and practice throughout his career.Read More →
Charles Francis Annesley Voysey (1857–1941) was a renowned architect and designer, known for his unique, simple, and elegant work, bridging the Arts and Crafts and modernist movements.Read More →
Serge Ivan Chermayeff was a Russian architect and designer who was active in Britain and the US in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Serge Ivan Chermayeff was a Russian-born British architect, industrial designer and writer who pioneered Modern industrial design and collaborated with Erich Mendelsohn. Chermayeff designed textiles, interiors, and exhibitions and painted, collaborating with Christopher Alexander and Alexander Tzonis.Read More →
Walter Gropius, a German architect, played a key role in the development of modern architecture, particularly through the founding of Bauhaus School.Read More →
William Morris, a renowned 19th-century British designer and social reformer, sought to eliminate mass-produced goods and reintroduce beauty in home decor. He revolutionized British taste.Read More →