Walter Gropius is a name well recognized in Berlin to this day. He was one of the leaders of modern functional architecture, and is considered by many as one of the greatest architects of the early 20th century. In 1919 Walter Gropius became the director for the Bauhaus school of architecture and design in Weimar. The Bauhaus school is arguably the most influential of any institution in shaping the trajectory of modern architecture. Teaching how modernism can intertwine with form and function stood as the main goal of the institution. In contrast to many universities of the 1900s, the program consisted of many laboratories that allowed student to experiment with mass production. It was important to experiment with laboratories during this time in order to practice safe working conditions for factory workers. He also praised his idea of laboratories because it created a space for creativity to overlap between students and for students to learn from their mistakes outside of the real world. Gropius created a revolutionary idea of modernism in Europe and received praise for spreading his ideas through the Bauhaus school, but also received hostility from the Nazi powers. He believed that modernism separated artistic ability and the ability to build something and then came together as a final product. Gropius expressed his ideals by stating, “The mere drawing and painting world of the pattern designer and the applied artist must become a world that builds again. When young people who take a joy in artistic creation once more begin their life’s work by learning a trade, then the unproductive “artist” will no longer be condemned to deficient artistry, for their skill will now be preserved for the crafts, in which they will be able to achieve excellence,”(http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org). His expression proves his disbelief in art being a profession unless it is applied to something productive for society. The modernist design cultivates usability and minimalism. Common themes in modernist design include the extensive use of windows in buildings and fluid lines and patterns for home goods. Modernist colors used for buildings include light colored tones in contrast with bright colors for the doors and window frames. Buildings are designed this way in order to emphasize the functions of the building. Hitler despised modernist design not only because it did not follow his monumental style, but also because the school itself taught creativity and individuality. Spreading individuality got in the way of Hitler’s ideals of a dictatorship in Europe. He did not want students thinking for themselves and wanted to control youth with propaganda. For this reason, the Nazis shut down the Bauhaus school in 1932.

Walter Gropius felt the pressure from the rise of Hitler so he fled Germany in 1934 to Britain and then eventually moved to the United States. Once setteled in the United States, Gropius achieved major life accomplishments. In 1938, he designed his family’s home in Lincoln, Massachusetts with the style of International Modernism. He is know in the United States for starting the trend but Gropius claims he didn’t create a style at all, “I made it a point to absorb into my own conception those features of the New England architectural tradition that I found still alive and adequate.” Today his house is considered a national landmark and can be visited to study the architectural design. Additionally, Gropius became a professor at Harvard Graduate School of Design, founded “The Architects Collaborative,” and built the Pennsylvania Pavilion for the 1939 World Fair. These achievements are known internationally due to their lasting impact on modern-day architecture.

Walter’s house in Massachusetts

Even today, Walter Gropius’s legacy still exists in Berlin and around the world. Gropiusstadt is a locality in the Neukolln neighborhood in Berlin named after Gropius. The neighborhood of 18,500 modernist apartments is 53 years old. The area has towering buildings of Bauhaus design with tall glass windows. Other areas in Berlin have the architectural design philosophy of Gropius, with buildings with flat roofs, cubic shapes, and smooth facades. The Bauhaus school of design is arguably the most influential of any institution in shaping the trajectory of modern architecture. His production model can be seen in Ikea’s furniture. High quality brands like Knoll keep a strong partnership with the Bauhaus design philosophy. Road signs in Britain use the simple, cheap and to the point design philosophy of the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus Archive is a non-profit organization acting as a museum and research institute for the legacy of the Bauhaus art school. In 2019, the new museum building will be opening to celebrate the centenary of the Bauhaus. The motto of the celebration is, “Rethinking the world.” This celebration will have international impact and speaks of the importance of Walter Gropius’ work. The celebration will contain exhibitions on the global history and impact of the Bauhaus, with different activities at the historic Bauhaus sites in Weimar, Dessau and Berlin.

Gropiusstadt in Berlin

Walter Gropius was born May 18, 1883 in Berlin, Germany. Gropius studied at the technical institutes in Munich and Berlin-Charlottenburg, due to the influence of his architect father. In 1907, he joined with architect Peter Behrens in Berlin. In 1910, Gropius joined Adolf Meyer in an architectural practice in Berlin, where they contributed to the design of the modernist building, the Faguswerk shoe factory. Gropius served as a cavalry officer during World War I, where he received the Iron Cross for bravery. He married Alma Mahler in 1915, although their marriage ended in 1919 due to her affair with Franz Werfel, a German author. The two had one child, Alma Manon, who died in 1935. Walter Gropius died in 1969 in Massachusetts.

Walter Gropius first started his design career in 1910 when he opened his first store of furniture, wallpapers, automobile, and home goods. In 1919, Gropius founded the Bauhaus Design School in Weimar. The school focused on functional design and was noted for its avant-garde art and architecture. During this time he also designed large-scale housing projects in Berlin. Bauhaus was forced closed by the Nazis in 1933 and was bombed during World War II, but was later designated as a protective monument in 1974. Gropius left Germany for exile in England, and then moved to America where he wanted to bring international modernism to the United States. Gropius became a professor of architecture at Harvard University in 1937, where he focused on modern design, which ultimately influenced other U.S. architectural schools. He later became chairman of the department until he retired in 1952. During the 1939 World Fairs, he built the Pennsylvania Pavilion. Walter Gropius became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1944. In 1946 Gropius founded a group for young architects called The Architects’ Collaborative, which emphasizes the importance of teamwork.

Walter Gropius leaves behind a legacy through his architecture. His designs are best known for being functional and aesthetically pleasing. Many of his buildings use glass rather than surface decoration, which makes his buildings easily recognizable. Some of his most notable U.S. contributions include his house in Massachusetts, the Harvard Graduate Center, the Pan AM building in New York, and the John F. Kennedy Federal Office Building in Boston.

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