Epidemics and diseases—particularly tuberculosis—shaped architecture and design in the 1920s and ’30s. As epidemiologists emphasized that indoor, sedentary lifestyles and dark, crowded spaces spread illness, modern buildings were hailed as antidotes. Doctors encouraged patients to seek fresh, dry air, especially at tuberculosis sanatoria. In designs for medical and domestic spaces alike, architects prioritized sunlight (via large windows), outdoor access, and airflow. In this “new environment,” declared the French Swiss architect Le Corbusier, “illness suffers a crushing defeat.” Designers also experimented with materials like lacquered wood and tubular steel, which were easily cleaned. Smooth, white surfaces were selected for their stylistic tidiness, hygienic properties, and, in some cases, for notions of moral superiority.
Reinforced by public agencies, health, exercise, and well-being became trends embraced by modern citizens in the first half of the 20th century. It was thought that a healthy body and lifestyle would lead to inner purity. Such ideals, however, took on myriad sociopolitical implications; at their most dangerous, they were used to justify racial hygiene and eugenics.
Organized by Mallory Cohen, Project Manager, Emilio Ambasz Institute for the Joint Study of the Built and the Natural Environment, Department of Architecture and Design, with Rachel Remick, Curatorial Associate, Department of Curatorial Affairs and Department of Painting and Sculpture.