Robert Venturi is an American architect and a prominent figure of twentieth century architecture. He uses a form of symbolically decorated architecture based on precedents, believing that structure and decoration should remain separate entites and that decoration should reflect the culture in which it exists. Venturi's buildings typically juxtapose architectural systems, elements and aims, to acknowledge the conflicts often inherent in a project or site. This "inclusive" approach contrasted with the typical modernist effort to resolve and unify all factors in a complete and rigidly structured—and possibly less functional and simplistic—work of art.