International Style in Other Parts of the World

The International Style architecture carried no reference to specific regions, local history or national expressions. True to name, nor did the style provide architectural solutions specific to locations and climate. As a result, the designs and buildings were the same across the world, although, subsequently, this very characteristic drew criticism.

A lesser-known effort to popularize the style was that by a group of architects comprising Bruno Taut, Mart Stam, Hannes Meyer – the second Bauhaus director, Ernst May and several notable contributors to the Weissenhof project (and thus to the International Style). In 1930, this group, which inclined more towards functionalism, moved to the Soviet Union aspiring to construct expansive, challenging, sublime urban planning projects, designing entire cities from the beginning. However, Stalin declared them unwelcome and ordered them out of Soviet Union in 1936, and Hitler refused to permit them back to Germany. Thus, the Soviet effort was in vain, and these architects were without a nationality.

During the late 1930s this group, and their followers, moved to France, Turkey, Mexico, India and Kenya, spreading the style further.

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, identified The White City of Tel Aviv as having aesthetically and seamlessly incorporated the different variations of modernism in architecture and urban planning in early 20th century, and designated the City as a World Cultural Heritage site in July 2003.

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