Art deco architecture responded to the challenges of the Great Depression by becoming more streamlined and simplified in design, as a response to the economic constraints of the time. Architects turned away from the elaborate ornamentation and lavish details of earlier art deco buildings and instead focused on creating more functional and efficient designs. This meant using cheaper materials, such as concrete and steel, and adopting a more utilitarian approach to building design. Additionally, many art deco style buildings were constructed as a means of creating jobs during the Great Depression, as part of public works projects aimed at providing employment for millions of unemployed workers. The result was a new form of art deco architecture that was more modest in appearance, but still possessed the streamlined elegance and futuristic sensibility that defined the style.
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