Everything different, everything new. Rational simplicity instead of new-fangled extravagances. Clear geometry instead of playful forms. A motto of Bauhaus architecture is: light, air and sun. Large glass surfaces, white facades, cubic forms symbolise the new clarity and openness of the design philosophy. At the Bauhaus, founded in Weimar in 1919, art and craft were united, and ideas, designs and models were created in the workshops that had to be functional, of high quality and affordable. From teapots to wallpaper to finished houses - people were to be surrounded by harmony and honest craftsmanship in their living spaces. The supporting pillars of the Bauhaus style are the materials stone, wood, metal, fabric, paint, glass and clay. The goal: to develop independent prototypes in the workshops that could be marketed together with large manufacturers.

Something new emerges
In 1919, the world was in upheaval, the war was over, the empire was gone, democratic republics were emerging in Germany and Austria. These changes were also reflected in the message of the designs: away with the pompous, overloaded designs. Look forward, dare something new, use new materials.

Material: tubular steel
Famous example: The revolutionary Bauhaus chair B5. Instead of four legs and an upholstered seat, as had been customary up to then, it had a tubular steel frame connected with leather strips as seat and backrest. Because the Bauhaus painter Wassily Kandinsky liked it so much, it was later called the Wassily Chair. A classic that is still reproduced in many variations today.

Move to Dessau
Because funding was cut, the Bauhaus moved to Dessau in 1925. A sensational school building was erected there (now a World Heritage Site). In 1928 Gropius resigned as director, and from 1930 the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe headed the Bauhaus. In 1931, the NSDAP won the municipal election and enforced the closure of the school.

Bauhaus conquers the world
100 years of Bauhaus, 100 years of inspiration! Founded in 1919, the Bauhaus only existed for 14 years, but even after its closure, the success story continued - this time internationally!

Many Bauhäusler emigrated abroad to continue their work, especially in the USA. In 1937, Walter Gropius became the director of the influential Harvard School of Design, where he was able to further develop his ideas. His colleague Mies van der Rohe built the famous "Federal Center" in Chicago and designed the legendary "Seagram Building" in New York in 1950. Their old comrade-in-arms László Moholy-Nagy continued the Bauhaus concept as the New Bauhaus in Chicago from 1937.

From Tel Aviv to Brasilia
Witnesses to this clear, functional style can be found all over the world. From 1930 onwards, emigrated

Jewish Bauhaus architects built the so-called White City in Tel Aviv, the world's largest Bauhaus-style ensemble with over 4,000 buildings and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003.

In Nigeria, Bauhaus student Arieh Sharon designed the country's largest university in Ile-Ife, which offers space for 35,000 students. The German Pavilion was built in Barcelona, the "Red Banner" textile factory in St. Petersburg. Asia, Africa, America - witnesses of the Bauhaus style can be found everywhere. Even in the planning of the Brazilian capital Brasilia (built between 1957 and 1964) by the architect Oscar Niemeyer, many Bauhaus elements can be found in the modern cityscape. And someone else was enthusiastic about the clear design language. Apple founder Steve Jobs described the Bauhaus as one of the greatest influences in the design of his products.