What is International Style
Just like its name, International style is a style that would fit to all culture, all regions. It is a modern building style that base on modern material like concrete, glass, steel. It focus on the idea of "Less is more", eliminates unnecessary decoration, highlighting the beauty of structure and materials. All the skyscrapers you see, regardless of its location, is a extension from Mies's Seagram Building.
How delicate is it?
Material
1. Bronze Beam Decoration
Bronze is currently about 10–15 times more expensive than steel.
| Metal | Price per kg (USD, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Steel | $0.83–$1 |
| Bronze | $8.5–$12.2 |
2. Tinted Glass
3. Marble
Windows
The windows are all calibrated to the same surface, and the glass used are not warped.
Curtain
Land use
The Seagram Building does not have a podium. In Manhattan, most buildings include a podium to maximize land use, but Mies insisted that the building’s form remain a pure, clean, glass box. The area that could have been used for a podium was instead dedicated to an open plaza.
This design choice later influenced the 1961 Zoning Resolution, which allowed developers to add extra floors in exchange for providing public plazas.