Staatliches Bauhaus was about breaking boundaries.
From 1919-1933, Staatliches Bauhaus, or Bauhaus was an art school in Germany that combined crafts and fine arts. Not popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners, but trades, skills, crafts.
Although it took years before the school started its architecture program, Bauhaus literally translates into, “house of construction.” Bauhaus was founded with the idea of creating a “total” work of art in which all arts would be brought together, including architecture.
Originally founded by Walter Gropius, the school had two other headmasters during its years of operation Hannes Meyer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Both of them were hugely influential architects who went on to spread industrial design, also known as international design, throughout the world.
The Nazi party declared the modernist movement to be foreign and unpatriotic which ultimately lead to its demise in 1933. Many Bauhaus architects emigrated and moved to other countries so they could continue their work. One such country was Israel where so many modern structures were built in Tel Aviv that it has been named a UN World Cultural Heritage site. Part of Tel Aviv is called the “White City” because of its plethora of Bauhaus architecture. Nearly 4,000 Bauhaus structures were built from 1933 forward.
The Bauhaus design and mentality permeated the world, you can find its influences all around. Some notable Bauhaus buildings include:
Sommerfeld house in Berlin
Otte house in Berlin
Auerbach house in Jena
Farnsworth House outside of Chicago
IBM Plaza in Chicago
Seagram Building in New York City
“Laubenganghäuser” which are still in use today in Dessau
and the White City in Tel Aviv
Have an infinitely modern day!
