Bauhaus Dessau

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Bauhaus Dessau, also Bauhaus-Building Dessau, is a building-complex in Dessau-Roßlau. It is considered the pinnacle of pre-war modern design in Europe and originated out of the dissolution of the Weimar School and the move by local politicians to reconcile the city's industrial character with its cultural past. The building was constructed between 1925 and 1926 according to plans by Walter Gropius as a school building for the Bauhaus School of Art, Design and Architecture. The building itself and the Masters' Houses that were built in the immediate vicinity established the reputation of the Bauhaus as an "icon of modernism". War-damaged and structurally altered sections were largely reconstructed from 1965 onwards in the spirit of the original. The building was restored and partially modernized in 1976. Between 1996 and 2006, the building was restored and repaired in accordance with the principles of historical preservation. Since 1996, the building complex has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau, which also includes the Haus am Horn, the art school building and the main building of the Bauhaus University in Weimar, the Masters' Houses in Dessau, and since 2017, the Laubenganghäuser there as well as the ADGB Trade Union School in Bernau. Between 1925 and 1932, various other buildings by Bauhaus architects were also constructed in Dessau, including the Törten housing estate, the employment office and the Kornhaus restaurant.

The building, constructed in the international style, consists of five functionally structured parts, arranged additively in several wings. The reinforced concrete-frame structures were arranged on a flat site in such a way that there is no "front" in the customary sense. In one of these wings was the " School of Arts and Crafts" (later to become a technical school), the workshop wing with its distinctive glass curtain wall and Atelierhaus. The wall's design evoked industrial innovation of a factory building rather than the tradition and civic elevation of an academic institution. The Atelierhaus contained the dormitory studios for the students. The north wing of the crafts school and the workshop wing are connected by a two-story bridge. This was intended for administrative rooms and the building office of Gropius (later the Bauhaus architecture department). In a flat building between the workshop section and the Atelierhaus are the auditorium and stage as well as the Bauhaus cafeteria. In addition to its functional division, a key feature of the complex is the glass curtain wall of the workshop wing. By setting the support columns inward, the design allowed for an uninterrupted glass facade stretching across all three floors and the entire length of the building. This created an impression of transparency and lightness, departing from traditional architectural conventions of the period. The absence of ornamentation consistently defines the entire complex. The "open" facade creates a new, also from an educational perspective, effective relationship between the inside and outside, giving the impression of freedom and clarity. However, the delicate glass facade with its steel frame caused major problems in terms of sun protection and building climate control. In summer, the building heated up considerably due to direct sunlight. A necessary sun protection system consisting of curtains destroyed the intended transparency. In winter the building cooled down very quickly due to the single pane glass and required extensive heating. Ventilation is provided by mechanically controlled slatted windows, which are very elaborate in detail. Particularly striking is the protruding five-story building section, which is known as the Prellerhaus. After its completion in 1926, the 28 studios were used by young masters and students as living and working space. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe had studios converted into large classrooms in 1930. Since 2006 it has been available for overnight stays. After the Bauhaus moved from Weimar to Dessau, the name of this part of the building was taken from the studio building of the same name in Weimar, which is named after its builder Louis Preller.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.