The Bauhaus School of Design essays

The Bauhaus School of Design essays The Bauhaus was one of the first schools of design. Walter Gropius founded the school in Weimar in 1919. The school was founded upon the idea that all works of art, including architecture would be included in the schools' curriculum. One of the main reasons the school was founded was because the founders believed creativity and manufacturing were becoming an afterthought in design at the time. The creators thought art was losing its purpose in society, and wanted to bring back that aspect in the architecture field. Bauhaus believed in a different form of educating its students. Using practical skills, crafts, and techniques, along with intellectual thought were the emphasis of learning at the school. The Bauhaus had a long lasting effect on fine arts that is still felt today. Bauhaus was founded on five basic principles: industrial means of production and artistic design, team vs. individual artist, the use of machines to their full advantage, embracing all architecture, and innovation. The school focused on a curriculum that was based on a long preliminary course (Vorkurs), which gave students an emphasis on form, and a group of workshop courses. The goal of these ideals was to bridge the gap between art and industry after World War I. The Weimar government did not approve the school's new focus on technology, thus Walter Gropius decided to move the school to Dessau in 1925. In Dessau, Gropius designed the famous Bauhaus building with an industrial look. The building was composed of concrete, steel, and a curtain wall of glass that we now recognize as the basic elements of modern architecture. Former students like Josef Albers, Bayer, Brandt and Breuer became prolific students and were beginning to make an impact worldwide. Through design, the Bauhaus sought a universal language of form that would break down the barriers reinforced by the recent World War 1. Then came the beginning of the end of the Bauhaus school. Gropius...