Bauhaus went to school of design, architecture and fine arts most important and known in the world.
Created in 1919 by the famous architect Walter Gropius, in Germany, the Bauhaus School revolutionized modern design by creating the Bauhaus movement. It was persecuted by the Nazi government and was eventually deactivated in 1933.
Bauhaus was born in an important historical context, right after the end of the First World War and during a great industrial advance. Its emergence took place through an artistic manifesto created by Walter himself.
The architect joined two existing schools: the Fine Arts and the Arts of the Craft, and created the Bauhaus with the aim of having a democratic school and with the principle of building pieces fully functional.
It is worth remembering that Gropius was very influenced by European modernism and his intention was that the Bauhaus was the main school of the modernist movement in the world.
Architect Walter Bauhaus.
The 3 phases of the Bauhaus school
Even with its short lifespan, the Bauhaus has gone through 3 different phases over its 14 years. The first was in Weimar, where the union of artisans and plastic artists took place.
Bauhaus School Building in Weimar, Germany.
The second phase took place in the city of Dessau, with the most famous building at the school, designed by Walter. This phase was where the famous maxim "form follows function", the base used in the created by the Bauhaus movement.
The third and final phase was in Berlin, in a building also designed by Walter Gropius. This Bauhaus phase was important because it strengthened industrial thinking, directly influencing artistic productions.
How did the Bauhaus School work?
The Bauhaus distinguished itself by being a school that focused on the multidisciplinary process, that is, the The objective was to have an exchange of experiences between the different types of specialists who attended the local.
There was weaving, metallurgy, carpentry, sculpture, drawing and painting classes. In this dynamic, all students had contact with each of the specialties of the arts universe.
This type of didactic was used at the school to fulfill its objective of creating democratic and functional pieces.
For this, the idea was that students could experience artistic productions beyond their specialties and create the ability to see art beyond what they used to produce.
The characteristics of the Bauhaus School
- Its objective was to unite art, craft and technology, mainly because it emerged in an industrial age;
- The pieces were very well elaborated, designed not only in terms of aesthetics, but mainly in terms of their functionality. The idea was always to make a good design, producing in series, with affordable prices for the great mass;
- Focused on the functionality of the works without losing comfort for those who would use it, in addition to never leaving the artistic side to one side, this resulted in works that are inspired by the whole world;
- There was another important concept, the Bauhaus focused on a manual concept;
- They wanted all objects to be democratic;
What is the importance of the Bauhaus for today?
Bauhaus is known for influencing the world of design and architecture to this day. A great example of this is the great Ikea, a Swedish company that produces functional pieces in large series, focused on serving customers a minimalist, fully functional design.
Today, Bauhaus is known for its modern architecture and furniture, and as a major influence on mid-20th century painting and sculpture.
See also the meaning of Modern architecture and Modernism.
