Functionalist Design

In this copiously illustrated volume, George H. Marcus presents a corrective history of functionalism, the aesthetic that defined the course of progressive design in this century, and his work is particularly illuminating with regard to the use of color in architecture and design. Tracing the development of functionalism from Victorian times, Marcus establishes its basis as socially beneficial and without allegiance to style, material, or context. All that changed as the definition of functionalism narrowed and became closely identified with metal furniture, industrial materials, and…