The Bauhaus School created a design movement geared for mass production of functional furnishings. Formed by architect Walter Gropius in 1919, the school combined the talents of the era's elite architects, sculptors and painters. The furniture is characterized by angularity and simplicity of materials using bent wood, polished steel, glass, metal tubing, leather, steel-thread mesh and plastic. These classic designs can be seen in offices, banks and homes today and look as fresh as they did upon creation.
Bauhaus School Philosophy
The principles of the Bauhaus School marked the need for aesthetically well designed furnishings which could be mass produced. Practical technicians worked side by side with artists to balance creativity and modern machinery which revolutionized the furniture industry.
Art Periods
Bauhaus furniture designs radically broke away from the naturalistic Art Nouveau period of the turn of the 20th century and overlapped the Art Deco period which was going strong in France.
Distinct Characteristics
Austere and angular, design simplicity prevailed without flourishes. New methods of bending wood were developed and used for thin seats and chair backs. Steel and glass tables mimicked the sheer glass walls of modern architecture. Metal tubing curved and became the entire structure of chairs, tables and sofas. Tight leather straps were suspended for arms, seats and backs. Blocks of leather were used and some were tufted. Many chair and table designs were created for stacking.
Color Palette
Early textiles were geometric with subtle earth tones and blues. Later they utilized monochromatic, bright primary colors (red, blue and yellow) for table tops. Soon after, black leather and gray flannel were used for upholstery almost exclusively, though woven steel-mesh textiles were employed for seats and backs.
Important Designs of the Bauhaus School
Marcel Breuer's club chairwas the first in a series of iconic designs in 1925. Later known as the Wassily chair, it has a tubular chrome frame and black leather straps for the seat, arms and back support. Josef Albers' armchair came next in 1926 with two squares of bentwood as arms and a tight upholstered, angled seat and back. His monochromatic stacking tables followed in 1927. Breuer's side chair and Cesna chair, both with tubular steel frames, are copied the world over and can be found in innumerable kitchens, dining rooms and cafes.
The work of architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was greatly influenced by the Bauhaus school. His classic furniture of the period includes the Barcelona chair, MR lounge and the Brno chair. These, along with many of Marcel Breuer's and Josef Albers' original designs are still produced today and can be purchased through interior designers.
