Bauhaus

an influential art and design movement

shapes
creator

History

Bauhaus is the first college in the world to be founded entirely for the development of modern design education. It was founded in 1919 by German architect Walter Groups. The establishment of Bauhaus marks the birth of modern design education.

The school combines art and technology to cultivate a large number of designers with international influence. But after only 14 years the school was closed from the Nazis. The Bauhaus movement championed a geometric, abstract style featuring little sentiment or emotion and no historical nods, and its aesthetic continues to influence architects, designers and artists.

Concept

Understated, simple, minimalist – these are all words that people often associate with Bauhaus style. But there is no single, one-size-fits-all definition for this ground-breaking design style.

In fact, the movement is more about a series of styles directions that sprung from the original Bauhaus concept. Walter Gropius, architect and founder of the Bauhaus school in Weimar, believed that all objects should be simple, beautiful, functional and accessible to all – and this definition of design is what continues to influence designers right up to the present day.

“An idea is the only thing that can come this far.” – Mies van der Rohe,
last director of the Bauhaus school

creator

Typography

The Bauhaus School taught typography, and they were strong advocates of sans-serif type, as they believed that its simplified geometric form was more appealing and useful than the ornate German standard of blackletter typography.

Bauhaus style of typography is effective in conveying the message of the design. Balanced layout, harmonious geometric shapes, vibrant colors, and sans-serif letters in upper case or lower case fonts are simple but strong. Bauhaus layout was not only horizontal and vertical, but angled as well, or wrapped around objects.

The influence on the modern day posters and designs is evident, as you can see the legacy of the German school on various book and album covers, as well as political posters and signs. One of the most notable examples is the poster for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, heavily influenced by its German predecessor. So, if you want to see some of the fine examples of Bauhaus typography, scroll down and enjoy the simplicity and power of these works.

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