Movement

Streamline Moderne

1930–1950
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A late, aerodynamic phase of Art Deco emerging in 1930s Depression-era America, stripping ornament for horizontal curves, rounded corners and porthole windows borrowed from trains, liners and aircraft as an image of progress and consumer optimism.

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Details

Origin
United States

Classifications

Holder
Individual
Source of authority
Observation
Subject
Human centred
Degree of codification
Pattern based
Mode of transmission
Text drawing
Knowledge type
Propositional
Epistemic cluster
Western philosophical

Referenced by

Sources

  1. David Gebhard. The Moderne in the U.S. 1920–1941. Architectural Association Quarterly, 1970.

Cite this entry

First published May 2026Last revised Jul 2026

CLAD. "Streamline Moderne." Atlas of Architectural Thought. CLAD, 2026. https://www.cl-ad.com.au/research/atlas/movement/streamline-moderne/. Accessed July 17, 2026.