Who is described as an Expressionist Architect?

• A. Erich Mendelsohn
• B. Frank Lloyd Wright
• C. Le Corbusier
• D. Guillermo Tolentino

Answer: (A)

Expressionist architecture aims to convey emotion and drama through bold forms, sculptural massing, and flowing or irregular volumes that feel dynamic and dramatic. Erich Mendelsohn is a defining figure of this movement, with works like the Einstein Tower showing its characteristic energy: curving, expressive shapes, dramatic mass, and a sense of movement that prioritizes feeling over strict rationalism. His buildings often look like they’re in motion, using brick, glass, and metal in ways that evoke emotion and atmosphere.

Frank Lloyd Wright, by contrast, is best known for organic and Prairie styles that emphasize harmony with nature and horizontal planes, rather than the dramatic verticality and theatrical forms of expressionism. Le Corbusier helped shape Modernism and the International Style with clean lines, functional forms, and minimal ornament—quite different from expressionist exuberance. Guillermo Tolentino is a distinguished sculptor, not an architect, so the descriptor wouldn’t apply to his work.

So the person described as an Expressionist Architect is Erich Mendelsohn.