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Functionalism
DESIGN STYLES & MOVEMENTSintermediate
Definition
A design philosophy stating that form should follow function — the building's appearance should be determined by its purpose and structural logic. Functionalism rejects ornament in favor of rational design.
Example
Louis Sullivan's Carson, Pirie, Scott building in Chicago (1899) expresses its function as a department store through a grid of display windows and efficient structural organization.