The deconstructivist architectural style emerged in the postmodern 1980s, an artistic era governed by unorthodox visuals and compositional rule-breaking. The movement marked a departure from the harmony, symmetry and visual balance of the traditional architecture practices which preceded it, instead giving viewers an impression of obvious fragmentation, surface distortion, and visual chaos. One of the earliest examples of this movement is Paris' Parc de la Villette. Artists inspired by this style include Frank Stella, François Morellet, and Arièle Rozowy, whose work has encapsulated the experimental and innovative attitudes which governed the artistic trajectory of the late 20th century.
Though deconstructivist architecture is certainly recognized for its intentionally disassembled visual composition, the name of this movement is not strictly intended to describe this. Instead, its name refers to the philosophical theory of “deconstructive" semiotic analysis and 1920s Russian “constructivism" which partly inspired the style. In art, these philosophical musings seemed to suggest that there is no single inherent meaning to be found in a work but instead a variety of interpretations. That is to say that the complex geometry and imbalance of this architectural movement responds to the rational order and functionality of modern design.
Contemporary artistic movements such as cubism and minimalism have both been closely associated with deconstructivist architecture.
