What is Art Deco, and how the century-old design still shapes the modern world

Art Deco had been developing since before World War I in the 1910s, and got its name from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) held in Paris, France–a major world’s fair organised by the French government to showcase new ideas in design, architecture, furniture, glass, jewellery, and other decorative arts.

However, it didn’t actually receive its name until decades later, when 1960s British art historian Bevis Hillier coined the term “Art Deco” in his book Art Deco of the ‘20s and ‘30s–a catchy abbreviation for the 1925 Paris exhibition that could help revive interest in this design movement.

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During its original heyday in the 1920s and 1930s, Art Deco was known by various names including “Style Moderne,” “Jazz Moderne,” “Zigzag Moderne,” or simply “Moderne.” And, “Art Deco” was applied retrospectively as historians began to study and classify the distinctive design language of this period.

The 1925 Paris World Fair itself was responsible for popularising the style internationally, as it attracted millions of visitors from around the world, who then took inspiration from what they saw back to their home countries, helping to spread Art Deco’s influence globally.

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Art Deco’s initial decline began with the Great Depression of the 1930s, which made its lavish aesthetics seem inappropriate amid widespread economic hardship. Moreover, during World War II, resources were diverted to the war effort and post-war reconstruction favoured practicality and affordability.

By the late 1930s and early 1940s, the more austere International Style began to dominate architecture and design, emphasising function over decoration.

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For the decades that followed, Art Deco was often disfavourably dismissed as gaudy or excessive. But, a remarkable revival began in the 1960s when a new generation grew appreciative of Art Deco’s distinctiveness, culminating in a resurgence in the 1980s, alongside the rise of postmodernism, which rejected modernist minimalism and embraced historical references.

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Art Deco’s visual language is instantly recognisable through several key features: streamlined architectural forms, bold geometric shapes, vibrant colours, and luxurious materials.

Inspired by aerodynamics and modern transportation, Art Deco architecture often features sleek, streamlined shapes suggesting speed and motion. Curved walls and rounded corners soften symmetrical and repetitive geometric shapes like sharp angles, zigzags, chevrons, and stepped forms.

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Art Deco interior spaces include dramatic staircases lined with geometric railings serving as focal points, while sunken entertaining areas are complemented by built-in furniture or dramatic statement light fixtures like chandeliers and sconces.

Bold accent colours dominate Art Deco palettes, creating high-contrast visual impact. Black and chrome hues serve as foundational backdrops for luxurious materials with high-gloss lacquered surfaces–marble, wood veneers, and etched glass–as well as polished metal accents like brass, chrome, and stainless steel.

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These appealing design elements continue to influence contemporary interior design and architecture, adapting to modern sensibilities.

Unlike purely historical revivals, Art Deco remains particularly relevant today due to its balance between ornamentation and clean lines–offering a middle ground between minimalism and maximalism and providing creative opportunities to honour the past while embracing the present.

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In the 1920s and 1930s, some of the most recognisable Art Deco buildings had risen and dramatically transformed urban skylines worldwide–most of which still stand tall today as enduring iconic structures from an erstwhile era of bold design and optimism.

As these structures approach or exceed 100 years of age, extensive restoration work has become necessary to address deterioration while honouring original design intent, and ensuring they continue to inspire future generations.

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The Chrysler Building in New York City represents the pinnacle of Art Deco skyscraper design. Its terraced crown of stainless steel arches creates a distinctive silhouette against the Manhattan skyline, as eagle gargoyle sculptures–modelled after Chrysler automobile ornaments–and the lavish marble lobby featuring Edward Trumbull’s ceiling mural embody the style’s embrace of luxury materials and modern motifs.

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Designed by William Van Alen, it has undergone several significant preservation efforts since its 1930 completion. These include the restoration of its rare African marbles–Red Moroccan and Yellow Siena; the preservation of the distinctive triangular-patterned inlaid wood elevator doors; and the custom techniques developed to retain the building’s unique “Nirosta” stainless steel exterior elements, which contain chrome and nickel, maintaining their silvery gleam without requiring painting.

While more restrained than its contemporary, NYC’s Empire State Building by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon exemplifies Art Deco’s monumental aspect with its stepped silhouette and streamlined form, as simplified ornamentation and vertical emphasis create a powerful statement of American industrial might.

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Over the past two decades, its series of major restoration and preservation efforts honours its Art Deco heritage while embracing modern sustainability. Between 2009 and 2019, the ReBuilding Program further enhanced the building’s energy efficiency by refurbishing over 6,500 windows and updating systems without compromising its historic character. 

Simultaneously, a US$165 million renovation of the 102nd-floor observatory restored intricate Art Deco details and introduced floor-to-ceiling windows to elevate the visitor experience.

Lower down on the East Coast, the Miami Beach Art Deco Historic District showcases a distinctive tropical interpretation of the Art Deco style with over 800 preserved buildings from the 1930s and 1940s.

Designed by principal architects Henry Hohauser and L Murray Dixon, these structures feature pastel colours, nautical and tropical motifs, “eyebrow” overhangs, porthole windows and rounded corners–creating a unique regional adaptation known as “Tropical Art Deco” that responds to the local climate and seaside setting.

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A turning point came in the 1970s and 1980s when activists, led by preservationist Barbara Baer Capitman, successfully campaigned to protect the district’s early 20th-century buildings from demolition. 

This led to the creation of the Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL) and the district’s designation on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979–the first 20th-century district to receive such recognition. 

Since then, extensive restoration work has revived hundreds of pastel-coloured, neon-accented Art Deco hotels and buildings, including the Colony Hotel, The Carlyle, and the Cardozo Hotel; as strict local preservation ordinances have ensured that renovations maintain original details.

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Within the Neoclassical façade of the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City is a display of Mexico’s unique interpretation of the Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles. 

With initial constructions led by Italian architect Adamo Boari in the 1900s, and subsequent completion by Mexican architect Federico Mariscal, the interiors incorporated indigenous Mexican motifs into the style’s vocabulary, creating a nationalist expression of the international style.

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Most notably in the 1990s and early 2000s, one of the various phases of restoration focused on structural reinforcement, reclamation of its stunning Carrara marble façade, and conservation of the iconic stained-glass stage curtain made of crystal by Tiffany Studios. 

Furthermore, the interior’s exquisite Art Deco murals by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and other Mexican masters have been carefully preserved, with ongoing efforts to maintain their vibrancy.

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