Architectural trends in each era reflect its mode of thinking.

1) Premodern (Classical) Architecture

Features:

• Marked by Symmetrical façade

• Clear base–middle–top hierarchy

• Decorative elements (Minarets, cornices, pilasters, arches)

Significance:

• Architecture expresses order and continuity

• Beauty and civic dignity

• The building “belongs” to a tradition larger than itself

2) Modern Architecture

Features:

• Boxy form, flat roof

• Repetitive windows and balconies

• Concrete, glass, minimal ornament

Significance:

• Housing as a technical problem to solve (scalable design)

• Cost, density, light, ventilation matter more than symbolism

• The building is intentionally anonymous

3) Postmodern Architecture

Features:

• Classical motifs used playfully or incorrectly

• Mixed colors, broken symmetry

• Decorative elements with no structural role

Significance:

• Rejection of modernist seriousness

• Architecture as communication, not just shelter

• Meaning is layered, ironic, unstable