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Bauhaus Beyond Buildings: The Architectural Movement’s Impact on Modern Art and Design

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The word “interdisciplinarity” has gained immense traction in the contemporary world, especially in the field of arts and humanities, where these disciplines continuously intertwine. A recent article in QS Insights Magazine revealed that even though interdisciplinary collaboration is indispensable and common in modern university research, only now are postgraduate and undergraduate degrees becoming established and advocating for a more inclusive education.

In the case of architecture, the discipline has always been covertly — or rather quietly — interdisciplinary, with architects studying art, physics, philosophy, craft, sociology etc. along with design, theory and construction. Although today this is well recognized, so far there has only been one school, founded more than a century ago, that acknowledged the value of interdisciplinarity so strongly and advocated for an innovative way of thinking in the field of architecture and design. This article investigates the particular school’s educational model, focusing on everything apart from architecture, in an attempt to view the specific discipline through the lens of its immediate (and maybe not so immediate) influences.

White_Bauhaus_architecture_(Unsplash)

Samuel Zeller samuelzeller, White Bauhaus architecture (Unsplash), CC0 1.0 (marked as Public Domain)

The famous Bauhaus school was founded in 1919 and remained operational until 1933. Even though it functioned for merely fourteen years, the school introduced a new approach to design that has steered the direction of art, design and architecture throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Its core philosophy was to integrate art, craft and technology to produce works that were based on functionality and simplicity, promoting a holistic approach to creative education, while contrasting the era’s flamboyant and highly decorative movements.

Walter Gropius, the school’s founder, dreamed of a union between art and design and developed a craft-based curriculum that combined architecture, sculpture and painting along with craft-based workshops into a single creative expression.

Visual Arts in the Bauhaus

Postkarte_Bauhaus_Paul_Klee_Die_erhabene_Seite

Paul Klee creator QS:P170,Q44007, Postkarte Bauhaus Paul Klee Die erhabene Seite, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons

Upon entering the school, students were immediately exposed to color theory, material studies and formal relationships, taught by visual artists like Paul Klee, Vasily Kandinsky and Josef Albers. Translucent geometric shapes and a never-ending dance between the abstract and the figurative, characterized the paintings produced by the Bauhaus school. Instead of representing the real, the work reveled esoteric symbolisms and complex narratives that captured the imagination.

The Bauhaus’ Cabinet-Making Workshop

After completing the preliminary curriculum, students entered specialized workshops, where practical arts (architecture, interior design, textiles) were suddenly combined with the pure and rather idealistic nature of the fine arts (painting and sculpture). The cabinet making workshop, run by Marcel Breuer, practically reconceived the essence of furniture, challenging the form of the chair, for instance, and reducing it to its most basic existence.

The Bauhaus’ Textile Workshop

Anni_Albers_(1899–1994),_Design_for_Wall_Hanging,_1925

Art is a word, Anni Albers (1899–1994), Design for Wall Hanging, 1925, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons

The textiles workshop delved into the study and experimentation of unorthodox materials. Especially, under the guidance of Gunta Stölzl, students were encouraged to weave using cellophane, fiberglass and metal, eventually producing works that had tremendous commercial success and even contributed to the school’s funds.

The Bauhaus’ Metalworking Workshop

Metalworking produced perhaps the most famous design work, after architecture. Through the employment of sculptural principles and a philosophy of mass production, students developed prototypes for lighting fixtures and tableware, becoming the first pioneers of industrial design. The objects focused on functionality and ease of use, without however sacrificing the slim and pure design aesthetics promoted by the school.

The Bauhaus’ Typography Workshop

The typography workshop slowly gained popularity, especially under figures such as the graphic designer Herbert Bayer. Typography was gradually conceived as both the means of communication and artistic expression. In fact, the promotional material featuring the famous sans serif typefaces and photography, shaped the commercial identity of the school.

Functional Design and Mass Production

The Bauhaus movement emerged during a time when the world envisioned a utopian future, focusing on functional design and leveraging mass production to realize that dream. While architecture was arguably the discipline most closely associated with the movement — largely due to the significant influence of its products — the movement’s success is fundamentally tied to the interdisciplinary nature of the school’s curriculum. Without this integration of diverse fields, the Bauhaus architectural principles would not have achieved such a revolutionary impact.

One last question remains: if we were to establish a new school of architecture and design now, a century later, what type of interdisciplinary curriculum would scholars and practitioners suggest? What does the current world lack and what type of synergy between architecture, art and design is required to once again “shake” the field for the next 100 years?

Calling all architects, landscape architects and interior designers: Architizer's A+Awards allows firms of all sizes to showcase their practice and vie for the title of “World’s Best Architecture Firm.” Start an A+Firm Award Application today. 

Featured Image: Paul Klee creator QS:P170,Q44007, Paul Klee Laternenfest Bauhaus 1922, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons

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Architecture 101: 5 Foundational 20th Century Architectural Texts

The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available. Order your copy today.  

When we think of architectural contributions, we tend to envision breathtaking buildings, stunning drawings, conscious urban regeneration practices and even carefully crafted furniture. Still, many architects, especially during the early 20th and 21st centuries, have greatly influenced the architectural discipline not through their physical work but rather through their writings. To challenge the status quo, promote interdisciplinary research and reflect upon the deeper meaning behind architectural discourse, architectural texts have been consistently produced in the forms of manifestos, essays, lectures, books and critiques.

It is not by chance that some of the greatest architects-writers have emerged in the last two centuries, during which architecture drifted away from ornamentation and flamboyancy and followed a rather philosophical-symbolic trajectory. Modernism, Deconstructivism, Structuralism, the Bauhaus school and the post-modernism movement — albeit very different — follow the principle of making architecture that speaks beyond the surface, often touching upon subjects of philosophy, culture, diversity and human existence.

Frank Lloyd Wright, ‘In the Cause of Architecture’

Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the most influential writers for American architecture. In a series of essays titled ‘In the Cause of Architecture’ (1908-1952), he articulates his belief on organic architecture, presenting nature as a guide for the architect to create buildings that ‘grow as a plant grows in its own site.’ He promotes a practice that is not enslaved to ‘orders’ or ‘styles’ but rather understands the organic nature of human buildings, where integrity becomes the primary basis for all forms and materials.

Le Corbusier, ‘Towards a New Architecture’

Le Corbusier’s writings were instrumental at advancing the modernist movement. He published nearly forty books, with his writings starting as early as 1910. One of his most famous and highly controversial books, ‘Towards a New Architecture,’ was published in 1927. The now-classic text features a series of essays that advocate for a discipline that dismisses any architecture that relies on style and instead promotes a new mode of interaction between humans and buildings based on function and pure form. Architectural historian Reyner Banham wrote: “Its influence was beyond that of any other architectural work published in this [20th] century…”

Robert Venturi, ‘Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture’

Written in 1966 and translated into sixteen languages, ‘Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture’ was considered a source text for the postmodernism movement. Venturi’s ‘gentle manifesto for a non-straightforward architecture’ rebels against the austere principles of modernism and argues for an architecture that is meaningful only in the context of its surroundings. He looks at buildings not as sculptures and forms but rather as containers of everyday life that establish dynamic, complex relationships with their inhabitants. Venturi’s writings became a rallying cry against the simplicity of Modernism. He argued for complexity, contradiction, and ornamentation, advocating a “both-and” approach rather than the “either-or” mentality of Modernist architecture.

Aldo Rossi, ‘The Architecture of the City’

Rossi’s writings are rooted in a deep analysis of the urban fabric and collective memory. He was a central figure in the postmodern movement, and his theoretical work challenged the functionalist approach of Modernism, attempting to rediscover the traditional European city. His book ‘The Architecture of the City’ published in 1966, is a critique towards the lack of understanding of cities in contemporary practice. He approaches architecture as a vessel of memory, activated through monuments which in turn, give structure to the city. Rossi’s book was used as a significant reference for the reconstruction of Berlin after the fall of the wall, strongly advocating that history as well as meaning should be expressed through urban form.

Rem Koolhaas, ‘Delirious New York’

Delirious New York serves as a retroactive manifesto for Manhattan between 1850 and 1960 that reinterprets the dynamic relationship between architecture and culture. In the late 19th century, population, information and technology led to the testing of a new metropolitan lifestyle in the famous island. Koolhaas examines New York’s history, the Manhattan grid, Coney Island as well as the development of the skyscraper using witty, illustrated photographs, water color imagery, postcards and maps he collected throughout his time living in the city. Even though the text focuses on Manhattan, Delirious New York explores more broadly the role of chaos and contradiction in shaping cities, challenging conventional approaches to scale, globalization and urbanism.

Building, Thinking, Writing…

Architectural writing acts as a powerful medium, able to convey ideology, emotion and theory that inevitably shapes the way we perceive architecture. Still, the written word in architecture has, unfortunately, a very reserved reach. Mostly directed towards architects, theoreticians and academics, architectural texts have not established an immediacy with the wider public. For the non-architects, Le Corbusier is appreciated because of his modernist projects; Rem Koolhaas’s CMG Headquarter is recognized far more than his texts and when Frank Lloyd Write’s name is mentioned, the Falling Water is the work that immediately comes to mind.

This disconnect between architectural writing and the general public highlights a significant challenge: while buildings themselves are accessible and open to interpretation, the complex ideas and philosophies behind them often remain obscure, locked within academic discourse. To bridge this gap, it is crucial for architects to find ways to communicate their ideas in more relatable terms, allowing the broader audience to appreciate not only the aesthetics or utility of a structure, but also the deeper cultural, social, and philosophical meanings that shape its creation.

The latest edition of “Architizer: The World’s Best Architecture” — a stunning, hardbound book celebrating the most inspiring contemporary architecture from around the globe — is now available. Order your copy today.  

Featured Image: Massimo Alberici, Cimitero San Cataldo crop, CC BY-SA 3.0

The post Architecture 101: 5 Foundational 20th Century Architectural Texts appeared first on Journal.

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