Bauhaus Movement

Bauhaus (Staatliches Bauhaus) was an art school in Germany that was operational from the year 1919 till 1933 (“Why was the Bauhaus Movement so Important for Modern Architecture? — ArchitectWeekly”, 2019). The school combined fine arts and crafts. The school initiated the Bauhaus Movement that saw many people take a modernist approach in terms of design. The movement was inspired by uniting industrial design and art. At the time, industrial designs were considered ugly since the population was growing at a fast rate but livability was being outpaced by material progress. This led to designers and artists facing the challenge of designing homes of dwellers in growing urban populations. The main goal of the Bauhaus Movement is the simplistic approach towards design. This approach has been considered modern in the field of design and architecture.

One of the main reasons why the Bauhaus Movement is considered modern is the way it approaches to design in a simplistic, functional, and rational manner. Bauhaus proposes for design to be simple but useful when designing and implementing the design. The simplistic nature of design in Bauhaus is considered beautiful in today’s design world. Complex designs are considered hard to implement and also become hard to use and look at. A simplistic approach in today’s world is considered modern due to the ease of use and how beautiful the design is. This has led to modern-day designers being taught that “forms follow function” (Birringer, 2013). This means that in as much as the design is simple or complex, it has to be functional or operational in the long run.

The Bauhaus influenced a lot of art and design. One of the major area that was influenced by the movement is visual design. From the onset of the movement and till now, Bauhaus proposes for the functionality of visual design by being functional. However, functionality does not necessarily mean that the design has to be complex (Amen, 2017). Posters, videos, films, and other forms of media have greatly benefited from the movies. Current day visual designs are using the principles and teachings of Bauhaus during the time the school was still in operation. This means that the movement has had a huge impact on modern-day design and the design language current day designers use.

Modern day architectural designs have Bauhaus teachings and principles that guide the design process and implementation. Modern day architects use negative or white spaces in their designs which makes it aesthetically pleasing for both end-users and general designers. The Bauhaus has influenced modern buildings where style does not have to compromise with functionality. It makes it easier for style to coexist with functionality without being expensive or time consuming. Geometric shapes need to be unanimously balanced to convert functionality for architectural design based on Bauhaus. Interior designs based on the principles of Bauhaus are renowned for their openness and simplicity. Interior designs contain open layouts that seeks to let in more natural light and provide serenity to buildings. Furniture has also been influenced by Bauhaus with more people preferring simplicity that provides elegance over complicated furniture designs that are poorly executed.

Bauhaus has a profound impact on art, especially abstract art. Art using Bauhaus principles uses shapes of different sizes and colors to convey dimensionality. Bold blocks of colors and typography are characteristics of Bauhaus since the movement began, with the influence being witnessed and still being used today. Modern artists use white or negative spaces when coming up with their art by creatively using colors for visual identity and storytelling.

Conclusion

The Bauhaus Movement has had a profound influence over modern day design thinking, approach, and implementation. Designers, architects, and end-users all seek functionality over complicated designs, thus the simplistic approach forwarded by Staatliches Bauhaus during the school’s operational years has resulted in industrial designs and arts using the principle to make an everyday living be aesthetically pleasing but at the same time functional.

Reference

Amen, M. A. (2017). The inspiration of Bauhaus principles on the modern housing in Cyprus. Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 1(2), 21–32.

Birringer, J. (2013). Bauhaus, constructivism, performance. PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art, 35(2), 39–52.

Why was the Bauhaus Movement so Important for Modern Architecture? — ArchitectWeekly. (2019). Retrieved 22 April 2021, from https://www.architectweekly.com/2012/12/why-was-bauhaus-style-so-important.html?m=1