Modernism and cultural identity
Erik Asplund



The Swede Erik Gunnar Asplund (1885-1940), was a native of Stockholm. His work progresses through a variety of styles. From 1911 until 1930 his language, in opposition to the prevailing National Romanticism, was a "modern classicism" based on a free integration of classic and vernacular themes, and influenced by his travels in the USA and Greece. 1930, the year of the Stockholm Exposition, saw a transition to a personal interpretation of the modern movement, with a strongly functionalist perspective. The work of his last years retains a commitment to modernism, while returning to a mode that learns from tradition and from classicism. For example, his Woodland Crematorium (1935) makes use of columns which while modern in design, convey classical dignity. The Lister County Courthouse (illustrated), built between 1917 and 1921, has a theatrical feel. Each façade has a different character, with none specifically relating to the others, nor offering much clue to the interior within. However, the Courthouse shares with the later Stockholm Public Library a form focused on a circular central space wrapped around by stairs. Classicism underpins form, but classicism admired because it represents a rational approach to form. Whether as the leader of Scandinavian classicism, or as a modernist, Asplund is a leading figure in the history of 20th-century design, influencing fellow Scandinavians such as Aalto alongside European and American masters.

References
Great buildings online
Vitruvio