Wednesday, 1 April 2015

Bauhaus by Siebenbrodt, Michael & Schobe, Lutz

Pages 188-204 and 328-240

Summary of Chapter: Architecture/Building Studies/Building Department/

Bauhaus was an art movement that’s almost a century old yet it is still prominent today in some architectural styles. However Bauhaus was more than art style, it was a school that allowed students to gain hands on knowledge and practice on projects curated by their teachers such as Gropius. The shell of the architecture wasn't just created in the Bauhaus style; interiors, furniture, lighting and windows where just some of the elements that Bauhaus's students learnt.

Advances in science, new materials and construction methods allowed tutors and pupils alike to define the style of Bauhaus through functionality and experimenting. Some pieces of architecture were made using pre cast concrete blocks made from industrial waste products. Structures had visible skeletons, mostly using concrete, and glass was a also a dominant feature of the movements architecture. Internally easy-care materials were used to ‘lighten the load on the occupier’ and peat based insulation was used to improve insulation. 

In more depth Bauhaus had 150-200 per year and the structure of the programme only changed a few times to the more successful layout by Mies van der Rohe: studies were focused more on building and furnishing while hours where cut in workshops. The school still provided a ‘scientifically based and practically based education.’
 
An example of Bauhaus’ material uses are of Muche and Paulick’s Steel house; this was erected on a ‘concrete slab without a basement and clad with steel sheets on the outside and waste concrete blocks were used on the inside.’ 



Mies van der Rohe assumed a role in the office of Bauhaus in 1930 after exhibiting his well-known Pavilion at the International Exposition in Barcelona in 1929. Rohe created a ‘flowing space’ with a ‘floating roof on eight chrome-plated cross supports.’ I recently visited the copy of the Pavilion in Barcelona and admired it fluidity and simple clean lines that use natural elemts of water and light to create an inviting and memorable space.

Bauhaus image source: http://www.greatbuildings.com/gbc/images/cid_1250959206_bauhaus_P8062363.jpg

Barcelona Pavilion: http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/624_351/images/live/p0/1h/cf/p01hcfhx.jpg

Bauhaus Steel house: http://bauhaus-online.de/files/imagecache/480h/bilder/624_muche_paulick_stahlhaus.jpg


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