Robert venturi's works and works rival the mainstream functionalism of American architectural design in the 20th century, and become the witty and clear spokesman of unorthodox elements in the field of architecture. His works Complexity and Contradiction of Architecture (1966) and Learning from Las Vegas (1972) are regarded as declarations of postmodern architectural thoughts. He opposed Mies Van Derro's famous saying that "less is more" and thought that "less is nudity". He believes that modernist architectural language is not understood by the public, and the buildings that the public likes are often ordinary, lively, decorative and metaphorical. He believes that the appearance of Las Vegas, including narrow streets, neon lights, billboards, fast food restaurants and other trademark shapes, only reflects the public's preferences. If architects want to communicate with the public, they must learn from Las Vegas. As a result, the market culture, which was once considered as low-grade interest and the pursuit of excitement, was able to stand on the academic stage.
Robert venturi's representative works include Mother's House in Philadelphia, Franklin's Former Residence in Philadelphia, National Gallery of London, Allen Art Museum of Oberlin University in Ohio, and the reconstruction of Mabalo Branheim Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Venturi declared himself a "modern" architect, and criticized postmodernism for "only emphasizing the recycling of history and reviving the past".