Bauhaus

The Bauhaus, one of the most prestigious colleges of fine arts, was founded in 1919 by the architect Walter Gropius.

Although it is closed in the last century, its influence is still manifested in design industries now and will continue to

spread its principles to designers and artists. Even, it has a profound influence upon subsequent developments in art,

architecture, graphic design, interior design, fashion design and design education. Up until now, Bauhaus ideal has al-

ways been a controversial focus that plays a crucial role in the field of design. Not only emphasizing function but also

reflecting the human-oriented idea could be the greatest progress on modern design and manufacturing. Even more,

harmonizing the relationship between nature and human is the ultimate goal for all the designers to create their artworks.

To interweave arts and technology is not the only princi-

ple of Bauhaus. The meaning of the word “Bauhaus” is

clear evidence. In Germany, “bau” refers to building and

“haus” means house, symbolising that art and technology

should be composed together in design field. In 1923, the

director Walter Gropius introduced reconciliation be-

tween “creative artists and the industrial world” [2],

which changed the focus of design theories from aesthet-

ics to practicality. When the industrial revolution began,

traditional skilled craftsmen were gradually replaced by

machines while reducing cost through mass-production

eroded aesthetic standards [3]. Thus, William Morris

thought it dishonest for machine-made goods to pretend

to be hand-made, while John Ruskin went further in his

belief that the machine itself was a source of evil and

social ills. Due to the fact that design was separated from

manufacturing, it enhanced the independence of design.

“The traditional craftsman who both conceived and ma-

nufactured his products had to be replaced by someone

who conceived and described what would be produced

by others with the aid of the machine: a designer” [4]. It

reflected that artists did not concentrate on commodity

design during that period, which made the contradiction

between art and technology obvious. The stereotyped in-

dustrial products without a design sense and handicrafts

cannot meet the social needs.