Bauhaus.

29/3/2012
(week 6)


I was away for this class presentation due to moving house, so never had a chance to get my head around it all until today - well hopefully i have...


Anyway, the movement commonly known as Bauhaus first came about in Germany during 1919 and operated until 1933. However many would say that it is still well and truly alive in today's society when relating to design and functionality of everyday items and buildings.


Its founder Walter Gropious was an accomplished architect, however the school itself did not initially have an established section for this. Nonetheless, Bauhaus was founded with the idea of creating a 'total' work of art in which all arts, including architecture would eventually be brought together. The Bauhaus and minimalist movements have certainly influenced modern-day architecture.

The school of Bauhaus was famous for its approach of blending handmade crafts, engineering and technology together to create objects for all to own and use.


Now that i think about it i can familiarise myself well with many things i have seen and used throughout my life that have strong Bauhaus characteristics.


I admire the ways in which architecture has been influenced by this movement, i can cert ainly recall a number of house-hold items and perhaps even a great deal of classic machinery (cars/planes/trains/boats etc) that are likely to have also been born from Bauhaus.


I see the sense in what Bauhaus was /is all about, i like how it balances bold, radical elements with stylish design. To be honest i think i am now getting a bit obsessed with trying to notice more of it as a get around each day. One might say it was a movement well ahead of its time, but one that the established world desperately needed in many ways.




The following photographs were taken by myself as an example of what i feel are buildings with Bauhaus-inspired characteristics.

This building is on Northbourne Avenue as you head
into Canberra from the north. It is a strong example of
Bauhaus due to its strong solid shapes, stylishly bold
design and glossy silver finish.
I really like driving slowly past this building every
time i travel along Northbourne Avenue :]

The ABC radio building (also on Northbourne Avenue)
 is a reasonably small, yet bold building design.

This very strong and prominent building is
on Mort Street, not far from the previous
two examples. It displays strong vertical
lines and a balance of colours.