The Bauhaus: A Conceptual Model

In 1953, when giving a speech in honour of Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe retrospectively summarized the relevance of the Bauhaus: «The Bauhaus was an idea. This is the cause of the enormous influence the Bauhaus had. Only an idea spreads that far». Looking into the history of the Bauhaus as a school of design, its educational methods, and ideals, this course seeks to analyze the leading ideas and essentials of the Bauhaus. Is the concept of the architect as a master-designer or generalist still relevant? How does the artistic education at the Bauhaus differ from the formation of the architect today? Are ideas and methods from more than 80 years ago still prevailing? Is the Bauhaus an ongoing model? In revisioning the Bauhaus, this course will be seeking to find answers to these questions not only by learning more about its history but also by discussing the work of contemporary artists, designers and architects who explicitly refer to ideas of the Bauhaus.