International

The International style emerged in the 1920s through the work of European architects, including Le Corbusier and Bauhaus. The style was popular in Edmonton from World War II until the 1960s. The optimism and prosperity after the war led to a building boom that transformed Edmonton, adding many commercial and residential complexes in the International style. This minimalistic style used a square or rectangular plan with hard angular edges and plain surfaces. New structural technologies allowed for widely spaced supports that relieved exterior walls of traditional load bearing duties, resulting in the creation of curtain wall construction.

Characteristics

• Asymmetrical facades
• Square or rectangular footprint
• Flat roofs, usually without coping at roofline
• Simple cubic form, sometimes using cantilevered projections
• Plain surfaces that have been completely stripped of ornamentation and decoration
• Aluminum windows
• Large corner window openings