Bauhaus

The Bauhaus was a school in Germany which was founded in 1919 in Weimar, Its founder was  a renowned architect by the name of Walter Gropius. The word Bauhaus translates literally to ‘’house of building’’. The school was born out of not just an idea but a set of views that its founder and founding members felt very strongly about, one of the main aims was to reinforce and renew the bond between the arts and manufacturing which would in turn change education. Gropius had a vision of seeing the arts with a holistic view and not as separate entities, he wanted his students to have a fresh attitude towards craft and technique, a more respectful one. He wanted to take things back to when art and manufacturing were one. Gropius’ ambitions were to teach all arts under one roof, these included; Industrial design, graphic design, interior design, architecture and typography.

here some key examples of functional well designed products  which came out of the Bauhaus :

Walter Gropius - Bauhaus Building (Dessau)

One of the icons of the bauhaus is definitely the school building itself which was Designed by the school’s head Walter Gropius. This particular building is also a landmark design for contemporary design and architecture because of how it brings aesthetics and functionalism together. The building is made up of a tiled roof, steel frame work and reinforced concrete which was used as sound proofing and protection from the elements, all these would become standard in contemporary architecture but were pioneered in these times. A large area of glass was places on the forefront this was done so that the school could make use of as much natural light as possible. The school’s design consisted of three wings which were different workshops, offices and dormitories. All three of the wings were carefully placed with a lot of thought going into what went in specific areas. Although the building seems to be a whole when seen in design terms it was treated as separate elements. 

Eileen Gray - Kettle

This tea infuser represent’s much more than it’s basic function which it serves very well. When seen as separate elements it is easy to notice that Eileen Brandt was showing how basic geometric shapes could be amalgamated and used in everyday functional objects. The simple yet functional design by Brandt is a true reflection of the Bauhaus. Brandt was the only female to work in the metal workshop and managed to master design through the philosophies and approached thought at the Bauhaus.

Referencing:

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Bauhaus.JPG. [Accessed 29 January 2015].

The Bauhaus, 1919–1933 | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2015. The Bauhaus, 1919–1933 | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bauh/hd_bauh.htm. [Accessed 29 January 2015].

Bauhaus. 2015. Bauhaus. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.bauhaus.com.hk. [Accessed 29 January 2015].