There is no other way forward but consciously to act as nature acts.

Hugo Häring , 1925

nature and
the Healthy Body

Modernism’s engagement with the social world was also characterized by a deep concern for health and hygiene. World War I and the ensuing flu epidemic had killed millions internationally; consequently health was seen as a metaphor for a new life and bright future. In practical terms, it meant that both private and public buildings were designed with modern healthy amenities ranging from indoor plumbing and hygienic kitchens to swimming pools, gyms, and sun decks. A focus on the healthy body can also be seen throughout the mass media and visual arts, which were permeated with images of sportsmen and women, dancers and gymnasts, swimmers and sunbathers.

During the 1930s especially, some avant-garde designers and architects shifted their attention away from the machine-inspired forms of the 1920s and toward the organic materials and curvilinear shapes of nature. Some embraced natural materials such as stone, wood, and organic textiles, finding new, more gentle alternatives to the technological focus of the factory.