s t y l e
Bauhaus is a German expression meaning
house for building. In 1919, the economy in Germany was
collapsing after a crushing war. Architect Walter Gropius
was appointed to head a new institution that would help
rebuild the country and form a new social order. Called the
Bauhaus, the Institution called for a new "rational" social
housing for the workers. Bauhaus architects rejected
"bourgeois" details such as cornices, eaves, and decorative
details. They wanted to use principles of Classical
architecture in their most pure form: without ornamentation
of any kind Bauhaus buildings have flat roofs, smooth
facades, and cubic shapes. Colors are white, gray, beige,
or black. Floor plans; open and furniture is functional.
The Bauhaus school disbanded when the Nazis
rose to power. Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der
Rohe, and other Bauhaus leaders migrated to the
United States.The term International Style was
applied to the American form of Bauhaus architecture.
pictured below:
1st row l-r: UN Building, Mies Barcelona chair, Wassily chair
2nd row l-r: Bauhaus interior door handle, H. Bayer posters
3rd row l-r: Prellerhaus balconies (in Bauhaus,Germany),
Engel house (in Tel Aviv, Israel), László Moholy-Nagy poster
