The International Style was a highly influential architectural movement that originated in Western Europe in the 1920s and profoundly shaped modern architecture until the 1970s. Defined by functionalism and minimalism, it championed modular, rectilinear forms, flat surfaces devoid of ornamentation, open interiors, and the prominent use of glass, steel, and concrete. The term was coined in 1932 by historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock and architect Philip Johnson, who highlighted its principles of "architecture as volume" and absence of applied decoration.
Following its introduction to the United States in the 1930s by European architects, the style gained immense global popularity, particularly in the 1950s and 60s, becoming a symbol of progress and modernity that transformed city skylines worldwide. Its emphasis on utility and mass-production made it versatile for diverse structures, from social housing to skyscrapers. However, its austere and sometimes monotonous qualities eventually sparked critiques, leading to the rise of counter-movements like Postmodernism in the 1960s.