The Bauhaus was founded in 1919 in the city of Weimar by German architect Walter Gropius. The Art School was unique because it had an unusual concept of combining fine arts and arts & crafts to create Design. Design being something that has a harmony/balance of function and form. As well as having equality between craftsmanship and mass production. One of its key principles was that form follows function. The idea that “minimal” isnt an aesthetic, its the whole point… Many of the teachers there were famous for their own art work and were involved with many of the art movements at the time such as; expressionism, constructivism, fauvism, modernism, futurism etc. Gropius is responsible for the glass wall in buildings that we see so often these days and many different modern objects and architecture designs have branched off the ones founded in Bauhaus. The Bauhaus had a short life, it operated from 1919 to 1933 where it was forced to close by the nazis in germany.
The Manchester School of arts is a building hugely influenced by Bauhaus and its teachings. One of the most obvious being how open everywhere is. The aim was to break down the divisions between the subject areas and public space so that the barriers between disciplines is removed and all can work in one open space. This is an atrium with real purpose: providing public (who are allowed in thus far) and other students with glimpses of works of art and their making. Different disciplines can see what their confreres are up to and are encouraged to mix and collaborate: graphic arts with fine arts, architecture with fashion, photography with jewellery etc.
This building is a catalyst for the exploration of design and creativity. As the school prospectus states, ‘Manchester School of Art believes an art school is more than just a place. It is a bridge between the acceptable and the possible, between what is and what if.’ They could be describing Feilden Clegg Bradley’s remarkable new building.
Many of bauhaus’ creations are still widely used today. For example the Tubular Steel Chair by Marcel Breuer:
This design has simple straight cuts which can be produced and assembled by machine rather that a single craftsman. The different size tables nest together for convenient storage and also have the ability to ship off efficiently. This brought the cost of manufacture down which was important because the economics in Germany were poor at the time. You can still find these tables in most retail home stores and are used worldwide still.
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