BAUHAUS

B R YA N C A R L O C O R C U E R A
C O L L E G E O F S A I N T B E N I L D E - S C H O O L O F D E S I G N A N D A RT S
01 HISTORY

The Bauhaus School (literally meaning ‘building

house’ in German) was founded in 1919 by
Walter Gropius in Weimar, then the capital of
post WWI Germany. In this era of change and
disillusionment, the movement sought to
embrace 20th century machine culture in a way
that allowed basic necessities like buildings,
furniture, and design, to be completed in a
utilitarian but affective way.The school
encouraged the embrace of modern technologies
in order to succeed in a modern environment.
The most basic tenet of the Bauhaus was  form
follows function.
While the Bauhaus school of thought believed
that the building itself was the zenith of all
design, they had their students focus on artistry
and crafts across all mediums of design. Their
school followed a regimented syllabus, which
focused on the connection between theory and
practice.With their theory of form
follows function, the school emphasized a strong
understanding of basic design, especially the
principles of composition, color theory, and
craftsmanship, in a wide array of disciplines.
Because of the Bauhaus belief in the oneness of
the artist and the craftsman, their courses taught
students to eliminate the ideas of the individual
and instead focus on the productivity of design.
But this was also an institution taught by
masters.
PRICIPLE
S
The Bauhaus principles were extremely
influential on modern
architecture, graphics, interior design
design,

and typography. Historians characterize

Bauhaus-style buildings with a
prevailing harmony between design and
function and a noticeable lack of
ornamentation. The Bauhaus school's
approach of unifying art and craft with
technology also influenced design
education. The teaching philosophy at
the Bauhaus school was that artists
should be capable of working with the
industrialists.
5 CHARACTERISTICS OF BAUHAUS
ART, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

1. Form follows function

The American architect Louis Sullivan was the first to
use the famous expression ‘form follows function’. This
became one of the fundamental ideas of modernism and
Bauhaus. It means that in design, a form should always
be applied because of its function instead of its aesthetic
appeal. Utility came first and excessive ornamentations
were avoided.
2. True materials
According to the teachers at Bauhaus, materials should
reflect the true nature of objects and buildings.
Honesty as a designer was most important. This meant
they didn’t modify or hide materials for the sake of
aesthetics. There was no need to hide the construction
of an object or building, such as steel or a beam,
because it was just an integral part of the design.
3. Minimalist style
The minimalist style of Bauhaus art,
architecture and design reflected these
ideas of functionality and true materials.
Influenced by movements such as
Modernism and De Stijl, Bauhaus artists
favoured linear and geometrical forms,
while floral or curvilinear shapes were
avoided. Only line, shape and colours
mattered. Anything else was unnecessary
and could, therefore, be reduced.
PRI
4. GESAMTKUNSTWERK

N
Walter Gropius, the founder of Bauhaus, was the first to

apply the notion of ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ - a synthesis of

arts - to modern times. Gesamtkunstwerk combines

multiple art forms such as fine and decorative arts

unified through architecture in the case of Bauhaus. A

building was not just an empty carcass for the Bauhaus

school, it was just one part of the design, and

everything inside added to the overall concept.

5. UNITING
ART AND
TECHNOLO
In 1923, Bauhaus organised an exhibition that shifted the
Bauhaus ideology. This exhibition was called ‘Art &

GY
Technology: A New Unity’. From then on, there was a new
emphasises on technology. Bauhaus workshops were used as
laboratories in which prototypes of products, suitable for mass
production and typical for their time, were carefully developed
and improved. The artists embraced the new possibilities of
modern technologies.  Bauhaus has been a revolutionary
movement, changing art, design and architecture forever.
Important Bauhaus objects can be still found on the market
today, whether you are looking for the famous Wassily chair by
Marcel Breuer, the Barcelona chair by Ludwig Mies van der
Rohe or Josef Hartwig’s iconic Chess Piece. Bauhaus objects,
as important pieces of art history, still look surprisingly
contemporary today. Find your very own piece of Bauhaus
furniture in our Design Auction.