“Bauhaus” in German means “house of building“. This was the name of the design school founded in Germany in 1919 by architect Walter Gropius. This school had a relatively short history, yet in just 14 years of activity, it completely revolutionized the way of conceiving architecture and Interior Design. Let’s see together why the Bauhaus lesson is always relevant and how it can still inspire us concretely today.
According to Rowan Moore, British architecture critic, the Bauhaus was the most famous and influential design school that ever existed, a school capable of defining an era, as well as an aesthetic. Today Bauhaus is synonymous with essentiality, rationality, and elegance. Again according to the English critic, “
The Principles of Bauhaus
In the Bauhaus manifesto published in 1919, architect Walter Gropius declares: “Let us create together the new structure of the future, which will embrace architecture, sculpture, and painting in one unity“. He outlines several points that are still an essential reference for those involved in design, and not only.
1. Art and craftsmanship, for a complete work of art
Walter Gropius invites painters, sculptors, architects, and designers to come together in the figure of the craftsman. Artistic creation is realized in the concrete, in the solidity of matter, in practice. All objects and all environments can become works of art, through the competence of the executor. In designing a house, many professions collaborate for the success of a project: engineering and architecture are closely linked to Interior Design and fine arts, to create a concrete and functional work of art.
2. Form follows functionality
Functionality is one of the key words of Bauhaus.
3. The importance of material
The choice of materials is a fundamental aspect of a project. Every material we use, in fact, has unique characteristics, a true identity, which we must exploit to the fullest. We should not hide rough or less refined materials, but rediscover them and know how to interpret them in a new way. This becomes particularly relevant today, in the perspective of rethinking design in a sustainable way, re-evaluating raw materials that boast multiple uses and properties.
4. Sustainability
Even regarding sustainability, Bauhaus anticipated contemporaneity by almost a century. At the beginning of the 20th century, the first large-scale industrial productions were emerging. Designers and architects of this school began to reflect on how to best optimize the production and manufacturing of objects, minimizing waste, space used, and necessary energy resources.
5. Innovation and research
The search for functionality, rationality, and simplicity passes through constant innovation. As habits change, needs change, the way of living in the house changes. For this reason, research is a fundamental element in the field of architecture and design.
Bauhaus in your Home, in a few Steps
If you like clean and essential styles, Bauhaus can inspire you greatly. Here are some simple tips to replicate the same atmospheres in your home or office:
- Eliminate the superfluous: keep visible only objects that have an effective and essential function. No knick-knacks. The mantra is “Less is more“.
- Opt for geometric shapes and rigor. Prefer squared objects.
- Play with contrasts: use black and white, primary colors. Choose monochromatic objects. Avoid shades, half-tones, and patterns.
- Enhance raw materials, unprocessed: wood, glass, slate slabs, marble, and stone can give strong character to the environment, without any need for decorations.
- Embellish the environment with iconic objects such as cantilever chairs, a Barcelona chair, or a WG lamp. These elements are classics of furniture, always sought after and reinterpreted by numerous designers.
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