Bauhaus

The word “bauhaus” translates in German to “house construction”. You pronounce the word “bou-hous”. Try and say Bauhaus out loud.

German architect, Walter Gropius, in the city of Weimar, Germany, formed a new school of art and design, The Bauhaus, in 1919. The Bauhaus brought together a group of talented and diverse instructors who embraced form and function of the machine. Bauhaus students searched for unique forms, creating works in which all of the arts, including architecture would contribute. First year studies included painting and material exploration followed by working with artists and craftsmen in years two and three. Designs originated from new building types, functional expression of materials, and construction methods. Connecting the artist to the craftsman, students studied architecture in both theory and practice. Students were encouraged to be creative thinkers as well as makers. The integration of all of the arts created new forms of visualization and building. Work from the Bauhaus influenced art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design and typography. Breaking with the past, Bauhaus teachers and students moved thinking into modern times.

In 1925, Gropius moved the school to Dessau, Germany and designed a series of buildings that still function as the Bauhaus today! The buildings express all of the principles of the Bauhaus approach. The use of material is straight forward. Interiors are comprehensively designed with operable windows, lighting, seating and furnishings. Even the door handles were designed to be utilitarian and beautiful. Besides building architectural structures, students and faculty focused on textile, wood, metal, color, glass, clay, and stone as materials for new construction ideas. The furniture, housewares, and lighting, contributed to the modern international style.

How does the Bauhaus curriculum compare to your school? Do you paint and work with materials to explore ideas?