Tropical Modernism
トロピカル・モダニズム / 1940s–1970s / Style / Modern Architecture
Adapts modern architecture to hot, humid climates through canopies, louvers, ventilation and sun control.
At a glance
Visual cues
- Brise-soleil
- Deep eaves
- Cross-ventilation
- Permeable screens
Best used for
- Schools and civic buildings in hot humid places that must work without air conditioning.
- Coastal houses and lodges where airflow sets the shape of the plan.
Use this style
Take the compact brief into a project or hand the structured version to an AI tool.
Detailed guidance and sourcesProduction rules, reference works, comparisons, research and citation formats
Dictionary entry
- Type
- Place signs in the shade of the eaves so glare never blanks them.
- Composition
- Keep rooms shallow and open on both sides so air crosses through.
- Material
- Concrete louvers, perforated terracotta blocks, timber shutters that breathe.
- Caution
- Louvers and canopies added as shapes, with no calculation of orientation and sun angles, stop neither sun nor rain. Look past a tropical look to colonial rule, nation building after independence and local architects.
- Further study
- Jane Drew / Maxwell Fry / John Owuso Addo
Related entries
- International Style (インターナショナル・スタイル)Same Modern Architecture lineage.Compare Tropical Modernism and International Style
- Organic Architecture (有機的建築)Same Modern Architecture lineage.Compare Tropical Modernism and Organic Architecture
More from Modern Architecture
Continue through styles in the same Modern Architecture family, prioritised by shared effects.
- Garden City (田園都市)Shared effects: Calm / Trust / Futurity.
- Biomorphism (バイオモーフィズム／有機的形態)Shared effects: Futurity / Calm.
- Prairie School (プレーリー・スクール)Shared effects: Calm / Trust.
Browse all Modern Architecture entries
Cite this entry
The dictionary is meant to be linked to. Take whichever form fits where you are writing.
- Link
- https://indexstyle.org/styles/tropical-modernism
- Markdown
- [Tropical Modernism — IndexStyle](https://indexstyle.org/styles/tropical-modernism)
- HTML
- <a href="https://indexstyle.org/styles/tropical-modernism">Tropical Modernism — IndexStyle</a>