Momo Essay Bauhaus PDF

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This is the essay assignment of Momo topic 3 about Bauhaus. I talked about the change in direction that happened in Bauhaus in 1919 to 1933....

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FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & PLANNING ABPL 30050 / ARCH 20003 MODERN ARCHITECTURE: MOMO TO POMO ESSAY COVER SHEET Please sign and attached this cover sheet to the hard copy submission of your essay STUDENT NAME

Justin Wang

STUDENT NUMBER

955850

ESSAY NUMBER

3

ESSAY TOPIC (BRIEF DESCRIPTION)

The change of direction in Bauhaus

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ARCH20003 MOMO TO POMO ESSAY Question 3: How were the changes of direction that took place in the Bauhaus between 1919 and 1933 expressed in its course of study, its products and its architecture?

INTRO Bauhaus was founded by Walter Gropius as a German art school in 1919 and officially closed in 1933. It had a lifespan which coincides with the Weimar’s Republic and a history that reflect Germany between the two world wars. The school was lead by 3 revolutionarythinking directors at different times which penetrate the idea of “changing” and “revolution” through its education. So during the time the Bauhaus was operating, it experienced several changes of orientation that were shown through its curricula, products, design works and architectures. It came from not embracing industrialization to coming to terms with machines to fully grappling with the changing world with modernism being developed. The ideals of the Bauhaus and its essential revolutionary exploration were greatly influential in such conservative and reactionary world. This essay will give explanations how the changes of direction of Bauhaus took place with examples of its works.

THE BEGINNING OF BAUHAUS The word “Bauhaus” in German can be loosly translated to “building houses” but despite the name, the school initially started with Gropius’ idea of reconciling all art forms and unite them into one and architecture was one of them. He was influenced by the English Arts and Crafts movement and the Deutscher Werkbund so he believed craftsperson and artists should have the same quality and wanted to develop a new aesthetic based on high distinction craftsmanship1 (Loureiro 2014, 9) – he was manifesting a revolutionary principle of education, which is learning by doing. Making and crafting with hands instead of designing on paper or sitting in class and listening to teachers or copying works of Da Vinci, which was what education was like in Europe at the time.

Bauhau Proclamation In the Bauhaus proclamation, Gropius appealed: “Together let us desire, conceive, and create the new structure of the future, which will embrace architecture and sculpture and painting in one unity and which will one day rise toward heaven from the hands of a million

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11. Loureiro, Felipe, “The Revolutionary Mind of Walter Gropius: Architectural Utopias for the Machine Age.” Utopian Studies 25, (1): 9, doi:doi:10.5325/utopianstudies.25.1.0174.

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workers like the crystal symbol of a new faith.” 2 (Bayer 1938, 16)

Figure 1 Lyonel Feininger: Woodcut from the first proclamation, 1919 Souce: Bayer, Herbert. 1938. Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press.

The manifesto was also illustrated by the dramatic woodcut of a gothic cathedral with its spiral soaring up to the sky and the crystalline symbols scattering lights. We can tell Gropius’ wish of consolidating all arts efforts into one piece to achieve the “ultimate aim of all creative activity – the building.” Gropius carried out his idea and put them into practice. “For every student at Bauhaus was trained by two teachers in each subject- by and artist and a master craftsman.” 3 (Bayer 1938, 12) It was inevitable to train “ambidexterity” this

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2. Bayer, Herbert, Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. (The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press, 1938), 16. 2. Bayer, Herbert, Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. (The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press, 1938), 12.

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way at the beginning since there was no one with sufficient mastery in both fields to serve such purpose of the Bauhaus’.

Joannas Itten and His Preliminary Course The initial direction of the Bauhaus was mostly expressionism, especially influenced by one of the most important figures in early Bauhaus, Joannas Itten. The preliminary course he created was the basic unifying factor in the Bauhaus for its entire period. It emphasizes the

Figure 2The Prelimary Course of Bauhaus Diagram Source: Bayer, Herbert. 1938. Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press.

Figure 3Herbert Bayer: Drawing in various media of different textures. Source: Bayer, Herbert. 1938. Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press.

order of learning should go from the basics to the top. Students were taught to fist have understanding of fundamental elements like materials, forms, textures and colours and then proceed to technical skills and combinations of knowledge and skills in actual practice. Bayer states that (Bayer 1938, 34): “Every new student arrives encumbered with a mass of accumulated information which he much abandon before he can achieve perception and knowledge that are really his own.” 4 So instead of learning art history and precedent innovations, students would go straight into learning the fundamentals and design grammars to find out each person’s individuality and direction. Students had to go through semi-annual trial period to be admitted into the next level of specialization and all apprentices had to do their own designs as a matter of principle. The ideal of combining art forms and training designers for industry was being implemented at the time. 4

2. Bayer, Herbert, Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. (The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press, 1938), 34.

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Influence of De Stijl Between 1922 and 1923, Theo van doesburg, a Dutch de Stijl artist had a temporary but great influence on Bauhaus students and teachers. He advocates basic geometries and primary colors. His work was anti-individual, more abstract and his preoccupation with pure form and colors did not accord with the Bauhaus’ principles which the emphasis was on cultivating individuality in the interest of the whole community and technical skills.5 (Loureiro 2014, 49) Some Bauhaus students went to follow Doesburg instead. In fact, Doesburg helped Gropius to find his way back to his true course and Bauhaus Community to its senses.6 (Dearstyne 1986, 66) De stijl influenced Bauhaus profoundly and made Gropius rethink about the future direction of Bauhaus to a more industrialized rationalism.

Nagy Brings New Aesthetics When Itten was resigned in 1922 and Laszlo moholy-nagy joined the Bauhaus in 1923 and took over the foundation course, he replaced Itten’s metaphysics and mysticism with aesthetic and philosophy of machines. Under Nagy’s tuition, the Bauhaus gradually changed its direction to rationalism and constructivism. Gropius liked where they were going and to make the change of direction clear, he made a declaration: “The Bauhaus believes the machine to be our modern medium of design and seeks to come to terms with it.”7 (Droste and Bauhaus-Archive n.d., 29)

Sommerfeld Building & Haus Am Horn The change of direction could really be seen in the early building Adolf Sommerfeld designed and built by Bauhaus students and teachers in a suburb Berlin-dahlem, 1921.8 (Bayer 1938, 73) Fundamentally Arts and crafts style, symmetrical structure, floating eaves, Arts and crafts folk style timber paneling, interior exquisite decoration and the stained glass in the stair well. All of these elements are demonstrating the remnant influence of traditional classism, gothic and Arts and Crafts movement.

Figure 4 W. Gropius: Sommerfeld House, Berlin, 1921. For the first time Bauhaus workshops actually collaborated in decorating and furnishing the rooms. Source: Bayer, Herbert. 1938. Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press.

5 11. Loureiro, Felipe, “The Revolutionary Mind of Walter Gropius: Architectural Utopias for the Machine Age.” Utopian Studies 25, (1): 49, doi:doi:10.5325/utopianstudies.25.1.0174. 6 2. Dearstyne, Howard, Inside the Bauhaus (Cambridge: Elsevier Science & Technology Books, 1986), 66. 7 2. Droste, Magdalena, The Bauhaus, 1919-1933 (Köln: Taschen, 2006), 29. 8 2. Bayer, Herbert, Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. (The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press, 1938), 73.

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But just two years later, the Haus am Horn for the 1923 exhibition appeared to be totally different. Gropius funded this project himself hoping it would mark a start for an extensive housing development. 9 (Bayer 1938, 72) The building was called, “wohn machine“ which translates to “living machine”. Dramatic changes can be seen in all aspects. Simple cubic geometry, eliminated decorations, white facades, horizontal lines and planes and pinwheeled plans. Every room has its own irreplaceable functions, interior was minimalist and reinforced concrete was used. It embodies the influence of the De Stijl by the Doesburg group which gives an impression of “cold, simple, and machine”. The direction started to shift to a new style which was later recognized as modernism.

Figure 5 Haus Am Horn, Weimar, 1923 Source: Bayer, Herbert. 1938. Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press.

The consequential designs following Haus Am Horn all inherited the characteristics and showed the developments of this particular style. Between 1922 and 1924, Many modernist architectural works were done: the remodeled municipal theatre in Jena, the Chicago Tribune Competition entry by Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer and several house projects 9

2. Bayer, Herbert, Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. (The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press, 1938), 72.

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by Bauhaus student Farkas Molnar. 10 (Bayer 1938, 73-76) It was during this time, Gropius emphasized on architecture and intended to adapt architecture to modern mechanical and industrialized world. “An architecture the function of which would be clearly recognizable in its form”. Like many modernist architects did, He also adopted Louis Sullivan’s principles “Form follows functions” and Adolf Loos’ “ornament was a crime” and applied them to his works.

Changes in Typography and Daily Products The essence of Modernism was also seen in other forms of art at Bauhaus. Typography, for instance, had changed to a much clearer and simpler design. Moholy-Nagy said: “Clarity must be especially stressed for clarity is the essence of modern printing in contrast to ancient picture writing.”11 (Bayer 1938, 78) We can see from Bauhaus press, the letters on the front cover are huge, obvious and extremely clear. Typographic language was recreated whose logic totally depended on its usage or function.

Figure 6 L. Moholy-Nagy: Title page. Staatliches Bauhaus in Weimar 1919-1923 Source: Bayer, Herbert. 1938. Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press.

The idea of simple form, sleek lines and elimination of decorations was also applied to everyday products. Marianna Brandt, a famous student at the Bauhaus, made excellent household utensils with metals like copper.12 (Bitterberg 1975, 24) Objects like tea infusers 10

2. Bayer, Herbert, Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. (The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press, 1938), 73-76. 2. Bayer, Herbert, Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. (The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press, 1938), 78. 12 2. Bitterberg, K. G, Bauhaus. (Stuttgart, W. Germany: Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen in conjunction with the Visual Arts Board, Australian Council for the Arts, 1975), 24.

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and pots were designed in terms of their function and the need for mass productions. The cradle that is assembled with only circle, triangles and rectangles and the childrens’s toys that were shaped in only simple geometries and primary colors are still unique today.13 (Dearstyne 1986, 188-194) These designs were closely linked to the foundation course and the De stijl. The idea “Form follows function” was once again developed in these daily objects and Bauhaus begun to move away from crafting individual pieces towards prototypes with industrial manufacture and mass market in mind.

Moving to Dessau Due to political pressure, the Bauhaus moved to Dessau in 1925, a small industrial city in the north. Comparatively simpler administrative machinery and fewer authorities made it politically more liberal. Bayer stated (Bayer 1938, 97) the efficient working atmosphere, less distraction and beautiful natural surroundings provided a rather ideal environment for Bauhaus. Upon the approval of the mayor of Dessau, the new Bauhaus building which Gropius designed begun its construction immediately. 14

The Main Bauhaus Building It was the very building of the Bauhaus. Gropius’ ideals were implemented thoroughly with this fabulous building. It was the “crystalline of cathedral” of functionalism. The asymmetric façade, with an entrance on the central axis. “One must walk around to understand the three-dimensional character of its form and the function of its parts.” Said Gropius.15 (Droste and Bauhaus-Archive n.d., 61) Everything was under one roof – workshops, offices, canteen, student accommodations and blocks were functionally divided into different sections but all connected as one piece implying the idea of uniting all forms of art. Proper orientation to the sun. Easy, short and time-saving communication and flexibily of reassignment of rooms. The De Stijl composition with simple geometry and basic colors.16 (Bitterberg 1975, 44) Recessed base painted in black made the building appear to float. Reinforced concrete skeleton and steel window sashes. The free plan which floor slabs were supported on columns without bearing walls . The glaze curtain wall like fagus factory were just clipped to the floor slabs giving absolute transparency and permeability for the building. Everything was designed intensively rational with the newest aesthetic, materials and techniques. Metal started to replace wood in furniture, welding superseded screws, glue and dovetail joints.17 (Loureiro 2014, 53) Not only the functions were all being served, modern methods and materials were also utilized to respond to the changes of modern world. It was one of the pioneering buildings in Europe to express directness and simplicity

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2. Dearstyne, Howard, Inside the Bauhaus (Cambridge: Elsevier Science & Technology Books, 1986), 188-194. 2. Bayer, Herbert, Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. (The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press, 1938), 97. 15 2. Droste, Magdalena, The Bauhaus, 1919-1933 (Köln: Taschen, 2006), 61. 16 2. Bitterberg, K. G, Bauhaus. (Stuttgart, W. Germany: Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen in conjunction with the Visual Arts Board, Australian Council for the Arts, 1975), 44. 17 11. Loureiro, Felipe, “The Revolutionary Mind of Walter Gropius: Architectural Utopias for the Machine Age.” Utopian Studies 25, (1): 53, doi:doi:10.5325/utopianstudies.25.1.0174. 14

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in architecture and influenced buildings all over the world with its visible characteristics of the international style.18 (Weber 2009, 46)

Figure 7 Walter Gropius: Dessau Bauhaus. Air View. 1925-1926 Source: Bayer, Herbert. 1938. Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press.

Figure 8 Corner of the workshop wing, bridge and technical school beyond. 1915-1926. Source: Bayer, Herbert. 1938. Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press.

The masters’ houses a few hundred yards from the main Bauhaus building were also similar in its simple, clean and rational design.

Figure 9 Walter Gropius: Masters' houses, Dessau. 1925-1926. Source: Bayer, Herbert. 1938. Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press.

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2. Weber, Nicholas Fox. The Bauhaus Group: Six Masters of Modernism, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009), 46.

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Chairs and tables were inspired by modern motor mobiles, cars, bicycles, and airplanes and designed based on its function rather than aesthetics. Famous examples are the Wassily Chair by Marcel Breuer, a master at the Bauhaus, the iconic furniture designer of the age. 19 (Weber 2009, 55)

Figure 10 wassily Chair by Marcel Breuer Source: Bayer, Herbert. 1938. Bauhaus 1919 to 1928. The Museum of Modern Art, New York: Arno Press.

Hannes Meyer Succeeded Gropius 1928, Swiss architect Hannes Meyer took Gropius place as the director of the Bauhaus. He was a communist who believed architecture was not an art but a science. He made big modifications in the orientation of the school turning it into “the sociological, the material, the functional, and as he claimed, the psychological.”20 (Dearstyne 1986, 205-207) Meyer placed architecture as an emphasis in Bauhaus curriculum which did not exist before under the lead of Gropius. By introducing architecture course into the curriculum and offering a diploma, the students were able to get a well-rounded architectural education. However, the art aspect of the Bauhaus was made light of and the left-wing activities he involved aggravated local goverments. Until 1930, he was d...