Twentieth Century Avant Garde: Italian Futurism & Russian Constructivism

Twentieth Century Avant Garde:

Italian Futurism & Russian Constructivism

Upon first viewing the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, it seemed quite clear to me that it conveys many of the same ideas of those held by the Italian Futurists. For example it expresses energy and motion through its significant use of sweeping diagonals, there's minimal ornamentation, it has many horizontal levels displayed through the exterior grid frame and it incorporates the Futurists extreme fascination in modern transportation. But even though it strongly resembles a building that may have been created by the Italian Futurists, it seemed to me like it shared many of the same principles displayed in the works by Russian Constructivists. The station implements the use of modern building materials, it has an exposed skeletal frame and it implements the use of external transportation systems. With the use of all these ideas, the Milwaukee Intermodal Station definitely displays an Avant Garde appearance.

The Italian Futurists were extremely fascinated in displaying the idea of movement and dynamism within their works. This idea is clearly conveyed in the station through the great sweeping diagonals displayed throughout the building. The diagonals in the building exaggerate the movement and force of the building. Particularly when viewing the station in the evening when it's dark out, these sweeping lines become even more vivid and significant to the viewer. Visually your eyes are sweeping across the building, which in a sense it is referencing the movement of 

transportation, which is obviously very fitting to what the station is used for. The horizontal lines of the grid frame also seem to give the station a sense of movement. With so many horizontal lines sweeping over the façade, to me it’s almost a representation of the long journey of which a traveler may partake.

From looking at the picture above, with the bridge in the background, I almost get a sense of Antonio Sant’Elia...