Final answer:
The International Style is the most widely used architectural method to symbolize the corporate power and bureaucracy of the twentieth century, known for its emphasis on volume, industrial materials, and lack of ornamentation. Option A is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The architectural method that has been most widely used to symbolize the corporate power and bureaucracy of the twentieth century is International Style. This style, which emerged following the theories of architect Le Corbusier in the 1920s and '30s, became synonymous with modern architecture for decades.
Key attributes of the International Style as defined by the Getty Research Institute include an emphasis on volume over mass, the use of lightweight industrial materials, a rejection of ornament and color, repetitive modular forms, and flat surfaces alternating with areas of glass.
The Industrial Revolution played a significant role in the advancement of this architectural style, popularizing the use of steel, plate glass, and mass-produced components, which allowed for bold structural frames with clean lines and plain surfaces.
The International Style also reflects the modernist approach that sought to remove historical references and reduce buildings to pure, functional forms. This style is characterized by its simplicity, clarity of form, and the absence of ornamentation, standing in contrast to the more decorative styles of the past such as Art Deco and the lavish excesses of Victorian and Edwardian architecture.