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A digital archive of Bauhaus books

A digital archive of Bauhaus books

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The Bauhaus is a source of inspiration for many architects and designers. Radical at its time of conception at the turn of the twentieth century, the Bauhaus brought together the worlds of architecture, graphic design, art, fashion, objects and photography. The German town of Weimar was transformed in 1919 by Walter Gropius’ vision for a new kind of design education and practice that fused function and form through a hands-on approach. Students learned a wide range of subjects, from materiality and colour theory to more practical classes in metal working, sculpture and photography. It was a ground-breaking approach that left a mark on the design world.

Unfortunately, under a turbulent political landscape and financial pressures, the school closed in 1933. Despite the troubles and many relocations of the school, several prominent figures associated with the Bauhaus went on to be leading educators and architects in the United States. The philosophies of the Bauhaus were able to be continued more informally at Ivy League colleges including Harvard and Yale.

During the more prosperous times, the academy produced and published many books expressing the concepts behind their teachings. These rare books (22 in total) have been digitised by the Bibliothéque Kandinsky, which is part of the Centre Pompidou. Although they are all published in German, there is plenty to be inspired by – from sketches, diagrams and parti drawings to experimental graphic layouts and photography – they offer a feast for the eyes and some inspiration for any creative person.

See the list below:

Internationale Architektur by Walter Gropius – 1925

‘International Architecture’ is a showcase of the burgeoning international style.

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Bauhaus

Factory and office building, Cologne, in iron, glass and limestone by Walter Gropius, 1914.

Factory and office building, Cologne, in iron, glass and limestone by Walter Gropius, 1914.

mies

A design of an office building in Berlin, made from iron concrete and glass by Mies van der Rohe, 1922.

Die Bühne im Bauhaus by Walter Gropius, László Moholy-Nagy and Albert Langen – 1924

‘The Bauhaus stage’ covers theatre design.

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bauhaus-buhne

Poster by Marcel Breuer.

Poster by Marcel Breuer.

Neue Arbeiten der Bauhauswerkstätten by Walter Gropius and László Moholy-Nagy – 1925

‘New works from the Bauhaus workshop’ showcases furniture and industrial design.

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bauhaus-bucher7

bucher-7

Punkt und Linie zu Fläche by Kandinsky – 1926

‘Point and line to area’ investigates hand drawing techniques.

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punkt-kadinsky

kandinsky2

kandinsky3

See the full Bauhausbücher archive here.

We recently spoke to Steffen Welsch for Q&ADR who is big Bauhaus enthusiast, have a read.

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