PWA Moderne

Hoover Dam, Arizona/Nevada
Long Beach, California Main Post Office
San Diego County Administration Center sculpture by Donal Hord
Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C.
Library of Congress Annex (John Adams Building), Washington, D.C.
Minneapolis Armory

PWA Moderne (or "P.W.A. Moderne", PWA/WPA Moderne,[1] Federal Moderne,[2] Depression Moderne,[1] Classical Moderne,[1] Stripped Classicism) is an architectural style of many buildings in the United States completed between 1933 and 1944,[2] during and shortly after the Great Depression as part of relief projects sponsored by the Public Works Administration (PWA) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

The style draws from traditional styles such as Beaux-Arts classicism and Art Deco and is similar to Streamline Moderne[2][3] but with zigzag ornamentation added. The structures reflect a greater use of conservative and classical elements and have a monumental feel. They include post offices, train stations, public schools, libraries, civic centers, courthouses,[2] museums, bridges, and dams across the country. Banks were also built in the style because such buildings radiated authority.[1]

Elements of the style

Typical elements of PWA Moderne buildings include:[1]

Examples of PWA buildings

Examples of PWA buildings include:

Arizona/Nevada

Florida

Ed Austin Building (Former Federal Courthouse, current Florida State Attoney's Office), Jacksonville, Florida

California

Venice Police Station, Los Angeles

Washington, D.C.

Iowa

Auditorium from the southwest
Sioux City Municipal Auditorium. The smooth brick walls, rounded corners, and deeply incised openings typify the Moderne style.

Minnesota

Nevada

Tennessee

Utah

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Fullerton Heritage site
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Grove Encyclopedia of American Art, Volume 1, Joan M. Marter, ed., p. 147
  3. ↑ McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction
  4. 1 2 3 "PWA Moderne", Los Angeles Conservancy website
  5. ↑ An Arch Guidebook to Los Angeles, Robert Winter, p. 322

Further reading

See also

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