Final answer:
The decoration of the Kress Building was influenced by the public's distaste for the modern post-war architecture, prompting a return to more traditional styles to reflect stability and familiarity in a rapidly changing society.
Step-by-step explanation:
The decoration of the Kress Building in Hollywood was influenced by the public's distaste for the glass-steel-porcelain look of post-war modernist architecture, as well as a negative reaction to the ideas of uniformity and industrialism that these materials represented. In an attempt to evoke a sense of familiarity and tradition, later architectural endeavors, such as the building in Warsaw, VA, were made to evoke the 1950s with elements like mansard roofs and brick, which reflected a return to older, more classical styles of decoration and construction.
This shift towards more historical design elements was not only in response to the cold and unapproachable look of modernist architecture but also served as a counterpoint to the rapidly changing American social landscape, marked by urbanization, immigration, and social unrest, which was leaving some yearning for a return to the perceived stability of the past.