How Postmodern Architecture Became the Language of American Business

In her essay for ArchDaily dated October 22, 2026, Olivia Poston explores the relationship between postmodernism and American commerce, tracing its roots to the 1972 publication Learning from Las Vegas by Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour. The authors encouraged architects to appreciate commercial strips—featuring billboards, neon lights, and casinos—and introduced the notable concept of the “duck,” a building whose form conveys meaning, versus the “decorated shed,” a simple structure marked by signage. This distinction challenged modernist views that prioritized form and function. Poston contends that modernism had already established a corporate visual identity, making postmodernism a reframing of architectural communication as it aligned with corporate differentiation and consumer identity. The essay begins with a look at Foster + Partners’ Apple Central World in Bangkok as a modern example.