Impact Bauhaus has had on design

Bauhaus Building

In the following essay the work of a German architect Walter Gropius the Bauhaus Building will be discussed through a visual analysis. Staatliches Bauhaus also known as the Baubaus German art school operated since 1919 to 1933. The building is a modern architectural design.

The straight horizontal and vertical thin lines on the Bauhaus Building form windows on the side of the building and on the front of the building. The thick straight horizontal lines by the red entrance door form layers of stairs, the balconies are formed by straight medium lines which are facing an identical direction and thick straight lines which form as a frame of the building and two extra think lines that form a frame that divides the floors of the building.

Vega School JHB

The design of the Bauhaus Building is like three tetris game pieces joined together. The pieces fit like a puzzle. It formed out of geometrical shapes which give it a modern look.

The windows are basic rectangular shapes. There is a basic shape within a shape(rectangle) in every window. The entire building is formed by basic rectangular shapes.

The building reflects limited hues which are black, white, grey and the only primary colour which is red(warm colour).

The focal point is the grey part of the building with the ‘Bauhaus’ name vertically written in bold white and the bright red door as the entrance beneath the ‘Bauhaus’ name.

The perspective of the building is that the four sections of the building which form the entire building are faced four different directions. This also forms a certain type of movement whereby the windows are an identical shape but facing different directions and the balconies are the same shape yet facing different directions. This creates a flow that forms repetition and rhythm.

The space is formed by the main elements of the building which is the glass on the front of the two- three storey buildings connected by a one storey building

The balance of the building is asymmetrical. It is an off-centre balance because there is no central view, somehow when the pieces are combined they make a balanced, harmonious, complete whole(unity).

The contrast is created by the black and white hues. The textures are smooth and small shapes are combined with large shapes to create a dramatic feel.

The glass facade the load-bearing framework allows a view of the interior workings. The view creates an impression of transparency. Looks like the multiple windows attract light beautifully.

The concept of the building design idea was founded within an idea of creating a work of art. The Bauhaus style later became one of the most influential style in modern design.

The Bauhaus Building is designed in a way that it tells a story. Every section of the building is designed to reflect the purpose of the school and what the school provides in terms of the teachings.

The impact Bauhaus has had on design today is impeccable. As a Vega student I have noticed Gropius style in the architecture. From the shelters outside, the geometric structure of the walls to the red, grey and white colours around the school building.

“The guiding principle was that design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair, but simply an integral part of the stuff of life, necessary for everyone in a civilized society”- Walter Gropius