History of Interior Design

Author: Qi Weimin (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: As an independent professional, interior design was truly established worldwide after the 1960s and 1970s. The Modernist architectural movement was the direct driving force behind the birth of the interior design profession. Prior to this, the concept of interior design always relied on decorative elements attached to the interior surfaces of buildings to achieve its aesthetic value. Since humans began to construct buildings, interior decoration has evolved alongside architectural development into numerous styles, making the concept of decorating within the building deeply rooted and easily understandable. The Modernist architectural movement shifted interior design from mere surface decoration to spatial design, not only creating a brand-new interior design profession but also bringing significant changes in design philosophy. We classify the internal spaces of buildings based on the degree of integration between the artificial and natural environments—the stages of interior development. The stage characterized by surface decoration as the spatial image feature, where open interior forms maintain a high degree of interaction with nature, spans the past hunting and gathering and agricultural periods. The second stage, where spatial design serves as the overall image representation, features self-operating artificial environment systems that create enclosed interior forms, reflecting the current industrial era. The third stage, led by technology, truly achieves green interior design, fulfilling the highly unified spatial forms that meet human material and spiritual needs, reopening the poetic way of dwelling and becoming the future development direction.