Art Deco Style
The Art Deco style appeared from 1920-1940. It was a modern style, in that it discarded classical form and decoration; it was characterized by smooth wall surfaces, flat roofs, horizontal belt courses and asymmetrical facades. Ornament, where used, was geometric and in low relief. In St. Louis, the Art Deco style was rarely used in single-family buildings, and then only in details. The style was more popular in multi-family residences, particularly in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood. Art Deco office buildings were popular in the United States from the early 1920’s through the 1940’s. The dominant characteristics of Art Deco design are verticality, building setbacks on upper stories, and geometric ornamentation. The buildings were usually sheathed in terra cotta or stone. (St. Louis, 1995)