Bauhaus Building by Walter Gropius

Overview

• Built in 1925 in Dessau, Germany by Walter Gropius
• Icon of the modern movement
• Sleek steel, concrete, and glass structure
• Designed to house the progressive school of art and architecture
• UNESCO World Heritage site (since 1996)
• Functions as a museum and research center today
• Managed by the Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau

Design and Structure

General Features

• Asymmetrical pinwheel plan
• Dedicated areas for teaching, auditorium, offices, and housing
• Three wings connected by bridges
• Utilized innovative engineering technologies: steel, reinforced concrete, brickwork, mullion steel windows
• Variation in facades through color differences and use of steel-frame glass curtain walls

Wings and Purpose

• Five functionally structured parts, arranged additively in several wings
• No customary front façade

Workshop Wing

• Glass curtain wall
• Resembles industrial innovation (factory building design)
• Three floors, entire length of the building transparent
• Allows for transparency, lightness, and flatness

Atelier House

• Dormitory studios for students
• Connected to the school of arts and crafts (north wing) and workshop wing by a two-story bridge
• Contains auditorium, stage, Bauhaus cafeteria

Preller House

• Five-story protruding section
• 28 studios for young masters and students

Functional Aesthetics

• Entire building organized according to function
• Form follows function
• Aesthetics result from functionality
• No traditional front façade, open corners with windows and balconies

Construction Features

• Steel skeleton construction: load-bearing steel elements with brick infill
• Flat roof
• Glass curtain walls did not carry load but showcased load-bearing elements
• Neutral exterior; interior painted in various colors

Contributions and Workshops

• 13 workshops: metal, carpentry, stained glass, weaving, mural painting, harmonization studies, etc.
• Integrated art and craft
• Led by Walter Gropius, Hannes Meyer, and later Mies van der Rohe

Challenges

• Glass facade caused issues with sun protection and building climate control
• Heated up considerably in summer; curtains needed for sun protection
• Cooled down quickly in winter; required extensive heating
• Ventilation through mechanically controlled slotted windows

Long-term Care

• Long-term conservation management plan needed for building maintenance