Minimalism

Minimalism in the arts began in post–World War II Western Art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. In minimalist architecture the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features. This is the motto less is more, but these words may have different meanings: for instance in the commercial world many insist on architectural control and minimalist architecture is a concept for not being disempowered.

The term minimalism is also used to describe a trend in design and architecture wherein the subject is reduced to its necessary elements. Minimalistic design has been highly influenced by Japanese traditional design and architecture. The work of De Stijl artists is a major source of reference for such work

The concept of minimalist architecture is to strip everything down to its essential quality and achieve simplicity. The idea is not completely without ornamentation but that all parts, details and joinery are considered as reduced to a stage where no one can remove anything further to improve the design.

The reconstruction of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's German Pavilion in Barcelona