Metal Prototype House.

 This is a Мetal Prototype House, which is also known as a Steel House. It was built in 1927 by architects Georg Muche and Richard Paulick in Törten Estate. Its area is 90 m². This house has steel plate construction and has no basement. On the Photo Collage 1. The Outside of the House there is the house from outside, you can see that it is made of two different sized cubes, which intersect with each other, because of this fact, inside of the house, rooms have different heights.

Photo Collage 1. The Outside of the House

 This house reminds me of a small ship, or submarine, because of its strict shape and unusual for buildings windows. Actually, it has 2 types of windows, which you can see on Photo Collage 2. Windows. First - round windows, which you can usually find in ships, not in buildings; and second one - squared glass windows, which are placed vertically and have room height, which is not typical for living buildings also, and I think that this way of placing windows makes this small house look a bit higher. Moreover, doors of this house also create the atmosphere of a submarine, they look so massive, so strict, not like typical doors, which we all are used to. 

  Photo Collage 2. Windows.

On Photo Collage 3. The Interior. , you can see the inside of this house. It is full of light, it is really great, but still, for me, this house has a kind of industrial, fabric, boat look, because of: the doors, which are steel from inside, and it does not give a look of a home to the interior; strange windows, which also does not remind of home and they just make the feeling of being in submarine more powerful; tubes, which are not hidden, also give some industrial appearance to this place; and lamps, which are done in very strict way and also give you a feeling as if you were in a real boat. I think that this house was great in terms of new architecture style, its idea is also interesting and construction of this kind of house does not take a long time, which is good, but it has some disadvantages: the main material is metal. First words which come to my mind when i think about metal are: rough, strict. This material does not have a feeling of home and coziness, I think that door at home must make people feel that they are welcome, and also feel the warmth. Furthermore, from the practical point of view, such things as ventilation and thermal insulation can have some problems inside of the house, which is done of steel, so it can even be uninhabitable.

      Photo Collage 3. The Interior.

The Modernist Style - Kim White

The Modernist Style

  

Modernist architecture spoke the language of the machine's aesthetic. Houses were designed with elements drawn from the world of industry. Architectural elements were mass-produced.

Modernist architects see the new building materials appropriate to accomplish their ideals. The style uses glass, which makes them think that transparency prevent elements, as access to mystic, suspicion, tyranny and lack of rational thought. Modernist architect saw himself not only as a builder of buildings, but also as a builder of contemporary life.

This approach is somewhat alarming, it makes me think about the lack of human awareness. House's primary purpose is privacy, protection and retreat. But according to this, modern man thinks he controls his life, but he is actually being controlled and privacy becomes voyeurism.

The modernist style avoided architectural ornament and all unnecessary detail. All elegant design, and the use of decoration, raise the price of the building. Lack of ornament brought in some US architects the thought that architecture is not an art, it is a construction technique in the industrialized society.

The synthesis between form and function, trying to turn the world into a meaningful homogeneous.

I think that modernism has created a fear that prevent the decoration from breaking, and abandoned his cultural roots connection established on the basis of the decoration.

Modernization prevent decoration, creativity and personal expression, making the society a machine which prevent the individual leaving a personal mark.

There is an intention to cancel the emotional expression of the artist, as a result of standardization in the form of construction and building materials.

The use of revolutionary technology and new materials, led to the creation of a universal model, which was supposed to fit anywhere around the world, while ignoring the climate and culture. As part of a modernization, there was built in Beijing China, hotel which all its envelope made of glass, but the climate of this city, which is very cold in winter and very hot in summer, the operating cost of a multi-story building of glass, is tremendous. Such problems are typical for many of the buildings in the International Style.

In my opinion, this example shows that the attempt to create a common architectural language of all humanity, in some cases, damage the effectively and functionality of the building itself, and thus violates the main values ​​of this style. To produce the most functional architecture it is important to understand the uniqueness of every building and every environment.

Bauhaus_Queenning Zhao_Oskar Schlemmer

I have always been fond of scenography and theatre. When I learned about Oskar Schlemmer, I became very interested in him and therefore want to write about him and his work.

Oskar Schlemmer

The Bauhaus Master of Multimedia Design

Oskar Schlemmer (1888 – 1943) was a German painter, sculptor, designer and choreographer associated with the Bauhaus school. In 1923 he was hired as Master of Form at the Bauhaus theatre workshop, after working some time at the workshop of sculpture. 

The Bauhaus school demanded versatility from their Masters. Founder Walter Gropius: architect, industrial designer, etc. László Moholy-Nagy: photographer, filmmaker, etc. Herbert Bayer: graphic designer, typographer, etc. But few of them also incorporated music, theater, and dance, and none as astutely and dynamically as Schlemmer. 

Oskar Schlemmer was already a painter, sculptor, and muralist when Gropius hired him. His work for the Bauhaus and his preoccupation with the theatre are an important factor in his work, which deals mainly with the problematic of the figure in space. People, typically stylised faceless female figures, continued to be the predominant subject in his painting. Once at the Weimar Bauhaus, and then on through Dessau, he expanded his media repertoire far beyond the two- and three-dimensional. He taught multidisciplinary classes that integrated kinetic motion studies, figure drawing, and philosophy. And Der Mensch, the human being, was always at the core of his instruction.

In 1922 Schlemmer achieved international fame with his three-act Triadisches Ballett in Stuttgart. It was revolutionary as well as a reflection of Europe’s postwar preoccupation with technology: much more a geometric exploration of time and space than any traditional dance form. And he controlled all facets of production: costumes, stage sets, lighting, music, choreography, promo posters, etc. The result was a complete, cohesively designed package: an avant-garde tour de force that continues to inspire theater and fashion as well as videos and other arts.

If you’ve seen Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance or New Order’s True Faith—with their eccentric costumes and mechanical movements—then you’ve had a taste of this Bauhaus Master’s multimedia design aesthetic, as both music videos are contemporary takes on his famous Triadic Ballet. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87jErmplUpA

The Beginning of Modernity_Queenning Zhao_Expressionist Architecture

Expressionist architecture

Expressionist architecture describes a type of architecture which uses the form of a building as a means to evoke or express the inner sensitivities and feelings of the viewer or the architect. 

Some of the qualities of the original movement were; utopianism, distortion, fragmentation or the communication of violent or overstressed emotion. In other words, it is a kind of abstraction in architecture.

This style was characterised by an early-modernist adoption of novel materials, formal innovation, and very unusual massing, sometimes inspired by natural biomorphic forms, sometimes by the new technical possibilities offered by the mass production of brick, steel and specially glass.  A recurring concern of expressionist architects was the use of materials and how they might be poetically expressed. Often, the intention was to unify the materials in a building so as to make it monolithic. 

Expressionist architects were both involved in film and inspired by it. Many architects designed theatres for performances on the stage and film sets for expressionist films. These were defining moments for the movement, and with its interest in theatres and films, the performing arts held a significant place in expressionist architecture. Like film, and theatre, expressionist architecture created an unusual and exotic environment to surround the visitor.

In my opinion, expressionist architecture are more like sculptures and pieces of artworks. They give more space for personal interpretation and perception for architectural understandings. It is as if the relation between people and architecture becomes more flexible, and leaves more space for imagination. It took architecture into a new level, a spiritual one, where perhaps form didn't necessarily have to follow function. 

The Second Goetheanum, built from 1924-28, was designed by Rudolf Steiner to replace the first Goetheanum that was destroyed by arson. The Second Goetheanum, was wholly built of cast concrete. It represents a pioneering use of visible concrete in architecture. This building has been called as a "true masterpiece of 20th-century expressionist architecture" by art critic Michael Brennan.

Steiner's architecture is characterized by a liberation from traditional architectural constraints. For the second Goetheanum he used concrete to achieve sculptural shapes on an architectural scale. The use of concrete to achieve organically expressive forms was an innovation for the times; in both buildings, Steiner sought to create forms that were spiritually expressive.

NaoualCohen_16-03-2016_Historyofdesign_BAUHAUS

Bauhaus :

   Bauhaus, commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was an art school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicised and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term—literally "construction house"—was understood as meaning "School of Building".

The Bauhaus was first founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar. In spite of its name, and the fact that its founder was an architect, the Bauhaus during the first years of its existence did not have an architecture department. Nonetheless, it 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 style later became one of the most influential currents in modern design, Modernist architecture and art, design and architectural education. The Bauhaus had a profound influence upon subsequent developments in art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography.

The school existed in three German cities: Weimar from 1919 to 1925, Dessau from 1925 to 1932 and Berlin from 1932 to 1933, under three different architect-directors: Walter Gropius from 1919 to 1928, Hannes Meyer from 1928 to 1930 and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe from 1930 until 1933, when the school was closed by its own leadership under pressure from the Nazi regime. The Nazi government claimed that it was a centre of communist intellectualism. Though the school was closed, the staff continued to spread its idealistic precepts as they left Germany and emigrated all over the world.

The changes of venue and leadership resulted in a constant shifting of focus, technique, instructors, and politics. For instance: the pottery shop was discontinued when the school moved from Weimar to Dessau, even though it had been an important revenue source; when Mies van der Rohe took over the school in 1930, he transformed it into a private school, and would not allow any supporters of Hannes Meyer to attend it.

STEPS:

Direct by walter gropius from 1919 to 1925

Direct by Hannes Meyer from 1928 to 1930 

Direct by Ludwing Mies van der Rohe from 1930 to 1933

industrialisation and changes produced to working class and craftmans

Grand Ducal school of arts and crafts and the weimar Academy of Fine Art

reconciliation of the fine arts and the applied arts

*design conscience

*importance of all steps in design

*rationalist/simplified shapes

Werkbund exhibition, 1914, Walter Gropius & Adolf Meyer, Cologne, Germany 

• The Deutshe Wekbund ( German Association of Craftsman ) is a German association of artists, architects, designers, and industrialists, established in 1970 to establish a partnership of product manufactures with design professionals.
• the Wekbund state-sponsored effort to integrate traditional crafts and industrial mass-production techniques.

Manifesto of the staatiches Bauhaus in Weimar 1919

• the ultimate goal of all art is the building
• architects, painters and sculptors must learn a new way of seeing and understanding the composite character of the building
• the unproductive « artist » will no longer be condemned to the imperfect practice of art because his skill is now preserved in craftsmanship, where he may achieve excellence 
• architects, sculptors, painters : all must return to craftsmanship 

Keys features of Bauhaus at Weimar

• influence of expression
• in search of a new craft overall design of the applied arts 
• progressive politicization because of the environment 
• the influence of the stijl alienates Bauhaus expressionism and approaches productivism with some Neoplasticist’s features.
• Begin his international fame

Keys features of Bauhaus at Dessau

• clearly politicked 
• dichotomy between working for the company or for the user 
• greater importance of architecture 
• abandonment of craftsmanship 
• international resonance
• resistance to the rise nazism 
• abrupt end despite is well known reputation

09_03_16_History of design_NaoualCohen

From Arts and crafts to Art nouveau

- Relative peace and prospertity in continental Europe

- Longer and upper middle classes that could support new and experimental directions

- Developpment of Art nouveau

Art nouveau:

- Different developments born around Europe were quite unrelated to one other 

- Liberty style 

- Jugenstil

- Modernism

- Style liberty

- Vienna secession

- Characteristics that make Art nouveau design recognizable

- Rejection of any historic imitation

- Modern materials, modern techniques 

 Victor Horta(1861-1947):

- which rejected historical styles

- begining of modern           

architecture

- abstract principle 

- from relations to 

environment

- generated references ideas of many modernist

Henri Van de velde (1863-1957):

- developped a highly 

detailed style

- concrete as an 

expressive element

- ornemental designs

- Art nouveau desire to create everything in a new and unified mode

- promoting the ideals of a new and progressive 

direcction in design

Antonio Gaudi(1852-1926):

- sensous curving, almost surreal design style

- the ennovative leader of spanish Art nouveau

- he juxtaposed unrelated systems 

- characteristically warped from gothic architecture

Charles R mackintosh(1868-1928):

- scottish architect, designer, and artist 

- asian style and emerging modernist ideas also 

influenced

Emile Galle(1846-1904):

- worked in glass

- one of the major forces in the French Art Nouveau movment

Josef Hoffman(1870-1956):

- met Joseph Maria

 Olbrich

- Founded the vienna 

secession in 1897

- he designed installations spaces for Secession exhibitions and a House for Moser.

- Adolf Loos (1870-1933) :

- was an architect and designer associated with secession for a time, but he became 

disenchanted with what he regarded as the superficial decorative concerns of the movment.

He attempt to make a clear association between ornament as inappropriate to modern

 mechanized productions is central to much of the design of the twentieth century.

The Bauhaus Movement

BAUHAUS

The Bauhaus, literally meaning construction house, was one of the most influential modernist art school of the 20^th century. The way of teaching and understanding the art’s relationship to society and technology had a major impact both in Europe and the United States long after it closed. It was shaped by the 19^th and 20^th century trends like the arts and crafts movement.

The school is also appraised for its faculty, which included artists Wassily Kandinsky, Josef Albers, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Paul Klee and Johannes Itten, architects Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and designer Marcel Breuer.

The motivations behind creating the Bauhaus started in the 19th century when they started worrying about the soullessness of manufacturing and its products, and were afraid that art has lost its purpose in society. Creativity and manufacturing weren’t on the same level anymore and Bauhaus wanted to bring them together once again.

BAUHAUS BUILDING

Dessau, Germany

1919-1925

Artist: Walter Gropius

 

Gropius’s complex for the Bauhaus at Dessau has come to be seen as a landmark in modern, functionalist design. Even though the structure seems strongly unified from above, each element is clearly divided from the other.

The building consists of an asphalt tiled roof, steel framework, and reinforced concrete bricks to reduce noise and protect against the weather.

In addition, a glass curtain wall, a feature that is really comment in modernist architecture, lets in a range of light. Gropius created three wings that were arranged asymmetrically to connect different workshops and dormitories within the school. The asymmetry expressed the school's functionalist approach and showed how practicality and beauty can be combined.

-Wassily chair- Marcel Breuer

The B3 chair or Wassily chair by Marcel Breuer

A bit of history to gain knowledge:

Marcel Breuer was a modernist hungarian architect and product designer that stood for the Bahaus movement. Thanks to his uniqness he became part of the masters of the Bahaus school where he taught and learned from Gropius or Mies Van Der Rohe. 

Moreover, had a preference for modular constructions and simple shapes, for instance, his "B3 chair" made in 1928 also known as the Wassily chair,  he achieved the knowledge to be able to combined art and technology at the same time. At the end this lead him to become the director of the carpenter workshop in the Bauhaus. 

Therefore, this chair became the "classics" of the Bauhaus movement in the product design field.

What do i think about it? 

As we all know the "B3 chair"  also called "Wassily Chair" was created by Breuer for Wassily Kandinsky one of his partner at the Bauhaus but also his inspiration in design. As we can see, he married traditional carftmanship with industrial methods such as bending metal tubes. 

Moreover, we could think, Breuer got inspired from the metal tubes of bikes or even the handrails of stair cases. 

However, I do not think this was the only inspiration he has got, he probably found his inspiration in "Composition VIII" by Kandinsky and "Composition en rouge, jaune, bleu et noir" by Mondrian. 

 

Actually, it is said that Kandinsky was inspired by Mondrian, thus, Breuer combined and revisited their works.

Why Mondrian? 

I would say because of the rectangles and the shape he gave to the chair, if you look at it in elevations and plans, it reminds you of Mondrain's piece of art. 

However, the chair is not colorful, the shapes represents the paintings and the spirit of them. 

Finally, I would say that Breuer tried to create a product/piece of art and showing people that both at the same time could be something possible to achieve. He wanted  the Bauhaus movement to be remembered through this chair. 

Léa Blanchard

History of Interior Design-Pilar Uribe Donatiu-The Bauhaus Movement

Bauhaus-enline.es (information taken from here)

In the last session we talked about the Bauhaus movement (meaning the art of constructing), originated in Germany in 1919.

Started in Weimar in 1919 until 1925 and was directed by Walter Gropius, continued in Dessau from 1925 to 1932 directed by Hannes Mayer, and finally reached Berlin in 1932 until 1933 and was directed by Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe.

German government decides to include workshop in the Arts and Crafts schools and start including well known artists as teachers and directors.

The Grand Ducal School of Arts and Crafts, and the Weimar Academy of Fine Arts, are founded in 1906 and directed by Henry Van de Velde, a well known Belgian Art Nouveau architect. During this movement, they believed in the reconciliation of the fine arts and the applied arts (workshop).

In the Manifesto about the Bauhaus movement by Walter Gropious, he makes the statement that they had to return to the workshop. Architects, painters and sculptors should learn a new way of seeing and understanding the composite character of the building. He also stated that the unproductive “artist would no longer be condemned to the imperfect practice of the art because their skill would now be preserved in craftsmanship, where he would or may achieve excellence.

Groupious also wanted architects, sculptors and painters to return to craftsmanship as there was no difference for him between the artist and the artisan. (all students should master architecture, sculpture, painting..)

Johannes Itten, a designer, professor, writer and artist of the Bauhaus movement, taught his students in a particular way, for example that they needed to make breathing sessions before starting any class or project. He designed a uniform for his own too. He was the one to make one of the first studies of the colour wheel and he related them with feelings and atmospheres.

Paul Klee (1879 to 194), was a German, surrealist artist. In 1920 Walter Groupus offered him a teaching place in the Bauhaus, he wanted him to help him join the art and the manual jobs. They wanted to make objects with high design characteristics. “The process determines the shape”. “The movement defines the shape of the design”. He had dynamic drawings with arrows, lines and colours.

The structure of the plain has to be alive, it needs to have a wide variey of rithms. Construction is used as a playful thing, developing negative motifs like “Un paseo en familia”.

Art was not the aim of Bauhaus, they wanted to make it a tool that could help teaching other designers and artists.

In my opinion, I do agree with some concepts of the Bauhaus manifesto. One of them is the fact that he considered that artists, designers and sculpturers should go back to the workshop. I also see eye to eye with the statement saying that artists and artisans were no different from each other. Moreover, going back to Paul Klee and his beliefs, when he says that “movement defines the shape of the design”, I could understand his point if he made reference to experimentation, meaning that the way to define the final shape of the design is through experimentation and the process which changes the shape through it. What catches my attention about the Bauhaus movement is the rather “minimalistic” aesthetics that the buildings have, if we take a look at the Bauhaus of Dessau for example. Geometric shapes, the right amount of colours or the distribution of the building.