DEMONSTRATE, DISCOVER AND DO
The Bauhaus, subject of the Barbican’s excellent exhibition that we review this month, was a legendary constellation of talents assembled (until his departure in 1928) by Walter Gropius. It was important for Gropius to be able to get on with, and trust, his staff: hence the forced resignation in 1923 of mysticist Johannes Itten who was posing a direct threat to Gropius’ authority.
This in an institution never short of egomaniacs and eccentrics. In 1923 the Weimar Bauhaus converted to the aims of modernity and mass production and Itten’s replacement, László Moholy-Nagy, was on-message for the new era. It was not long before the Bauhaus was lured to Dessau with the funding for its Gropius-designed campus.
Meanwhile, back in today’s world of architectural education, it’s that time of year again – the moment for final stomach-churning crits, the hurried production and polishing of presentation drawings for the end-of-year shows. For our part, we devote this issue to the relationship of teaching to practice. Most of those who feature in these pages are practitioners who choose to teach, and get a lot out of the crosstalk between the two activities. But we also give you controversy, in the form of new head Neil Spiller’s plans to make the University of Greenwich school world-class. Spiller is in no doubt that there are just too many schools of architecture. Just as in Gropius’ day, it’s a battle for the survival of the fittest.
One thing comes through strongly. Theory has its important place and academics can be inspirational, but there is an increasing desire out there for students to work with teachers who also know how to build, like O’Donnell & Tuomey (page 36) who have always fruitfully done both. Which brings us back to the Bauhaus. Everyone who taught there was also a practitioner in his or her own right. They were there because of what they did, not just what they said.
The Bauhaus, subject of the Barbican’s excellent exhibition that we review this month, was a legendary constellation of talents assembled (until his departure in 1928) by Walter Gropius. It was important for Gropius to be able to get on with, and trust, his staff: hence the forced resignation in 1923 of mysticist Johannes Itten who was posing a direct threat to Gropius’ authority.
This in an institution never short of egomaniacs and eccentrics. In 1923 the Weimar Bauhaus converted to the aims of modernity and mass production and Itten’s replacement, László Moholy-Nagy, was on-message for the new era. It was not long before the Bauhaus was lured to Dessau with the funding for its Gropius-designed campus.
Meanwhile, back in today’s world of architectural education, it’s that time of year again – the moment for final stomach-churning crits, the hurried production and polishing of presentation drawings for the end-of-year shows. For our part, we devote this issue to the relationship of teaching to practice. Most of those who feature in these pages are practitioners who choose to teach, and get a lot out of the crosstalk between the two activities. But we also give you controversy, in the form of new head Neil Spiller’s plans to make the University of Greenwich school world-class. Spiller is in no doubt that there are just too many schools of architecture. Just as in Gropius’ day, it’s a battle for the survival of the fittest.
One thing comes through strongly. Theory has its important place and academics can be inspirational, but there is an increasing desire out there for students to work with teachers who also know how to build, like O’Donnell & Tuomey (page 36) who have always fruitfully done both. Which brings us back to the Bauhaus. Everyone who taught there was also a practitioner in his or her own right. They were there because of what they did, not just what they said.
