Modern Arch Since 1900 Ch11

walter gropius, german expressionism and the bauhaus

The time after world war one led to an intense period of thought. The economy in Germany was in bad shape and not suitable to finance new building projects. There architects had to settle for models of their ideas knowing they wouldn't go on to be realized.

Because their buildings wouldn't go on to be buildings, a spiritual mentality took place. In fact some architecture teachers taught like gurus and encouraged meditation and so forth. The machine was also downgraded and placed subordinate to nature.

This is also the time the Bauhaus came to be. It was proposed to stop the artistic vacuum happening in German society because of the after effects of the war. It focused on the building to be the end of all arts.
The fruits of this school would be ostracized by German politics and ultimately shut it down. But the experimentation done there would prime some important modern architects for important works. They fled from oppression and dispersed away from Germany.