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1923 German Bauhaus Gallery Poster
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The Bauhaus, an
architectural school founded by Walter Gropius in
1918, introduced a design principal that would
dominate architecture and interior design for the
rest of the century: form follows function. The
original Bauhaus aimed to create decent housing for
the post-WWI German worker. Emanating from the
Arts
and Crafts movement, Bauhaus immerged as a post war
design style that favored simplicity. However,
unlike Arts and Crafts, Bauhaus embraced technology,
new materials and the mass production of furnishings
and fixtures. |
Gropius and his followers created classical forms
without extraneous ornament. They stressed the
search for solutions to contemporary design problems
in areas like urban planning, housing and
utilitarian mass production methods. The Bauhaus
school also offered courses in music, drama and
particularly painting. Thus the Bauhaus was rooted
in the Arts and Crafts movement but with vision
firmly set on the requirements and opportunities of
its day.
The Bauhaus
principles quickly caught on in the international
design community, becoming strongly influential in
architectural design. Bauhaus buildings, with its
various workshops, studio, school and administrative
offices, firmly established the principles of the
International Style, an expression of the machine
age as the Europeans of the 1920’s wished to see it.
The floor plan was designed as a series of cells,
each with a specific function, becoming a direct
expression, in glass, steel, and thin concrete, of
the use of the building (that is, the function –
hence form follows function).
The feel of a
Bauhaus interior is contemporary and
modern. Plain
white walls with no moldings and narrow baseboards
are de rigueur. Window frames should be simple.
Huge picture windows, even walls of glass, are
emblematic of this style. The floor plan should be
as open as possible, and the space divided with
modular furniture, low cabinets or bookcases or
perhaps a partial wall made of glass bricks.
Elements of
Style:
Colors: Walls are treated as background
incorporating sparse tones of black, white, brown,
gray, beige, and chrome. Bursts of color are used as
accent and accessories, primary colors often adding
the splash of red, yellow or blue that livens the
austere modern interior.
Walls: Walls are simple, with out moldings or
embellishment; painted white or neutral tones. The
use of glass as walls becomes an important
innovation in Modern Style, largely due to the
advent of new material use, like steel, in
construction. Glass bricks are installed, often in
combination with raw concrete - for that Le
Corbusier touch. Contemporary art, such as Abstract
Expressionism and Pop art add life and organic
interest to the clean angularity of modern design.
Floors: Natural elements become the mainstay. Wood, stone, brick,
and cork compliment the open, airiness of
modern interiors, adding just the right amount of
natural organics to compliment the concrete and
glass structure. Abstract
patterned rugs, such as kilim rugs, help soften the
linearity and add character to the modern interior.
Windows: Plain white curtains or Venetian
blinds allow light to enter the interior without
detracting from the open, uncluttered spaces. Or for a daringly modern look, no window
coverings at all!
Accents: This is the place for color and
organic forms and textures. Modern art,
particularly in Mondrian-style primary colors,
and geometric, black and white. Throw pillows
can be exiting influences, covered in
primary colors or interesting fabric patterns. Curved glass
ashtrays, translucent or colored art glass, and mobiles
continue the contemporary feel by implying light and
airiness. Natural objects and materials like twig
arrangements, bamboo, sisal or coir balance
industrial design. Period style can also be used
for accessories: Art Deco style for the thirties;
kitsch for the fifties; Pop Art for the sixties.
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