Authors :
Benedict Anyanwu
Volume/Issue :
Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 4 - April
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/3z3pw9xt
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/56c89266
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25apr2373
Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.
Abstract :
The minimalist movement in architecture contrasts with maximalist principles in that it celebrates complicated,
lavish, and story rich. As the opposite of modernism, maximalism grows as an artistic and design movement of the twentyfirst century based on the Baroque and Rococo periods, and institutionalizing vernacular, eccentricity, and immersion.
This paper explores the theoretical context and origin, as well as the cultural relevance of maximalist design in addressing
modern issues like sustainable and globalization design. Ornament and ornamented, relativism as the architecture, the use
of various cultures in the construction of buildings, such as the Sagrada Família and CopenHill Ingels. This research will
expose the historical growth of maximalist architecture, its connection to the other movements in architecture and its
prominence in this contemporary era amidst cultural re-orientation, social factors and economic advancements.
Qualitative research method is being employed in this study to achieve a conceptual understanding of the strategies of the
maximalist movement in architecture. The findings of this research will offer valuable insights to the improvement of
future architectural design and practices in view to separating maximalist movement from other forms of architectural
movements. This paper shows how Maximalism transforms architectural aesthetics through user interaction and
environmental sustainability, debunking claims of over-the-top designs. The relevance of the movement is defined by this
integration of everyday use and creative experience which is an important key to responding to questions of urbanization,
cultural difference, and ecology. This paper outlines how maximalism is a progressive architectural movement that
articulates difference, narrative, and responsibility to define architecture’s potential.
Keywords :
Maximalism, Architecture, Cultural Inclusivity, Ornamentation, Sustainability, Experiential Design.
References :
- Blanco, A., & Heffernan, M. (2020). Narrative architecture: Storytelling in design. Routledge.
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
- Creswell, J. W., &Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
- Deleuze, G., &Guattari, F. (1987). A thousand plateaus: Capitalism and schizophrenia (B. Massumi, Trans.). University of Minnesota Press.
- Hadid, Z. (2004). Zaha Hadid: Architecture and Design. Thames & Hudson.
- Hollis, E. (2015). The memory palace: A book of lost interiors. Portobello Books.
- Jencks, C. (2000). The New Paradigm in Architecture: The Language of Postmodernism. Yale University Press.
- Jencks, C. (2005). The iconic building: The power of enigma. Frances Lincoln.
- Jørgensen, M., & Phillips, L. J. (2002). Discourse analysis as theory and method. SAGE Publications.
- Lang, J. (2018). A concise history of modern architecture in India. Orient Blackswan.
- Pallasmaa, J. (2005). The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. Wiley-Academic.
- Rybczynski, W. (2019). The biography of a building: How Robert Sainsbury and Norman Foster built a great museum. Thames & Hudson.
- Rykwert, J. (2020). Sustainable design and the built environment: The impact of architecture on energy consumption. Routledge.
- Schumacher, P. (2016). The Autopoiesis of Architecture, Volume II: A New Agenda for Architecture. Wiley.
- Sennett, R. (2008). The Craftsman. Yale University Press.
- Sparke, P. (2017). The modern interior. Reaktion Books.
- Venturi, R., Scott Brown, D., & Izenour, S. (1972). Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form. MIT Press.
- Van Eck, C. (2018). Art, agency and living presence: From the animated image to the excessive object. De Gruyter.
- Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
- Zumthor, P. (2006). Atmospheres: Architectural Environments – Surrounding Objects. Birkhäuser.
The minimalist movement in architecture contrasts with maximalist principles in that it celebrates complicated,
lavish, and story rich. As the opposite of modernism, maximalism grows as an artistic and design movement of the twentyfirst century based on the Baroque and Rococo periods, and institutionalizing vernacular, eccentricity, and immersion.
This paper explores the theoretical context and origin, as well as the cultural relevance of maximalist design in addressing
modern issues like sustainable and globalization design. Ornament and ornamented, relativism as the architecture, the use
of various cultures in the construction of buildings, such as the Sagrada Família and CopenHill Ingels. This research will
expose the historical growth of maximalist architecture, its connection to the other movements in architecture and its
prominence in this contemporary era amidst cultural re-orientation, social factors and economic advancements.
Qualitative research method is being employed in this study to achieve a conceptual understanding of the strategies of the
maximalist movement in architecture. The findings of this research will offer valuable insights to the improvement of
future architectural design and practices in view to separating maximalist movement from other forms of architectural
movements. This paper shows how Maximalism transforms architectural aesthetics through user interaction and
environmental sustainability, debunking claims of over-the-top designs. The relevance of the movement is defined by this
integration of everyday use and creative experience which is an important key to responding to questions of urbanization,
cultural difference, and ecology. This paper outlines how maximalism is a progressive architectural movement that
articulates difference, narrative, and responsibility to define architecture’s potential.
Keywords :
Maximalism, Architecture, Cultural Inclusivity, Ornamentation, Sustainability, Experiential Design.