stylistics XX

Abstract

Stylistics, style, stylish… like many other popular words, the word “style” has lost its precise meaning, but still maintains the image of prestige. Who doesn’t wish to be stylish? Many architects want their works to be placed on a certain “stylistic shelf”. But the aspiration to be unique is no less strong. Everyone wants to be modern, but all methods of precise stylistic analysis work only at a historic distance, ideally of several centuries. What is happening to architecture today? Is it a revolutionary breakthrough sweeping away old ideas of styles? Or are the current processes mere variations on the theme of previous generations? In this issue, we address the most influential style of the 20th century, AVANT-GARDE, and the most sophisticated one, ART DECO, to invite our readers to reflect on these questions.