Midcentury modern furniture is something to be desired for the 21st century home. In our throngs of midcentury furniture, some items are labeled as “Bauhaus.” The Bauhaus movement started in the early 20th century and has since left a lasting impact on modern architecture, industrial design, the arts, interior designand graphic design. This movement was largely influential to the midcentury modernist movement. The term Bauhaus refers to this movement, however, “Bauhaus” was originally a school in Germany that taught the intersectionality of the arts to society and technology.
The school was founded by German architecture Walter Gropius, who was renowned for his contributions to modernism. Physically speaking, the school operated from 1919 to 1933 in three different cities. Although the school had greatly influenced architecture, it originally did not have an architectural department. Nonetheless, the school applied a holistic approach to the arts, by combining fine and applied arts, so the process of manufacturing could be more creative. By tinkering with production this way, the Bauhaus movement was transformative to the arts and crafts movement.
The Bauhaus school had an impressive line of directors and teachers including Mies van der Rohe, whose Barcelona furniture we proudly carry.
What the Bauhaus School Taught:
- Classes taught functionalism through a simplified lens of color, form and materials
- Building construction & technical reproduction focusing on craft and workmanship
- Geometric forms studies for the creation of new designs
- Prioritizing a communal environment instead of competition between students
Design Impacts of the Bauhaus Movement:
- Bauhaus sought to negate the lack of creativity in architecture and product manufacturing. The purpose was to inject artfulness into them and rid them of dullness.The movement reinvigorated the artistic side behind these works.
- Design innovations such as simplicity of form enmeshed with functionality and rationality
- A medieval guild system type of intellectual and theoretical activities, where practical skills, techniques and crafts were interlinked
- The fine arts and crafts were purposed with solving industrial problems
- Underlining the need to experiment within fine arts, which in turn changed the narrative of fine arts as less of a humanities trade, and more of a research science.
Bauhaus Furniture at Barcelona Designs
Our line of Bauhaus furniture exemplifies the legacy of the Bauhaus movement, in that it did not remain in Germany in the midcentury. Instead, it travelled throughout Europe, America and Israel and continues to be replicated, coveted and respected in the modern day. Our Bauhaus collection includes Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair, ottoman , two-seater bench, three-seater bench, table, daybed and table; Le Corbusier’s LC line of sofas, armchairs and loveseats; and Florence Knoll’s loft sofas and armchairs. Our furniture brings comfort like no other, with a sharp retention of details of the original furniture in all of our Bauhaus replicas.