Ply-curious Brewer (in between WWI and WWII)

13 Apr

Written By Carla Bento

https://www.nevertoosmall.com/post/ply-curious

https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/the-bauhaus-1919-1933

https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/210479/9/lbae010.pdf

https://www.tuljak.com/blog/weimar-birthplace-of-the-bauhaus

https://www.moma.org/documents/moma_catalogue_2735_300190238.pdf

https://mariabuszek.com/mariabuszek/kcai/ConstrBau/Readings/GropBau19.pdf

https://www.mobeldesignmuseum.se/news-design/the-biography-of-marcel-breuer

Marcel Breuer and his significant connection to the progressive Bauhaus school in Weimar, Germany, notably his transition into experimenting with plywood

The Weimar Years and the Carpenter Shop

Marcel Breuer was one of the youngest students at the Weimar Bauhaus.
He studied at the Bauhaus from 1920 to 1924.
Walter Gropius appointed him head of the furniture carpentry workshop in 1924.
His earliest lattice and slatted chairs were crafted from wood.
He later rose to fame for his tubular steel designs (e.g., the Wassily Chair). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Exploring the Bauhaus Weimar Era (1919-1925)

Founded by Walter Gropius in 1919, the Weimar period was the highly conceptual, experimental phase of the movement. The school sought to break down the barrier between fine art and functional craft. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The Manifesto: Gropius declared "let us create a new guild of craftsmen" in the famous 1919 Bauhaus Program.
Haus am Horn: Built for the 1923 exhibition, this house remains the only true example of Bauhaus architecture in Weimar.
Move to Dessau: Political pressure and financial defunding forced the school to relocate to Dessau in 1925, where it shifted closer to industrial design. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Relevant PDF Resources

To study the history, manifesto, and architectural principles of the Bauhaus and its materials, explore the following documents:

The Program: Read the foundational 1919 text on the Walter Gropius Program of the State Bauhaus.
New Architecture: Review Walter Gropius's manifesto on The New Architecture and the Bauhaus.
Original Exhibitions: View the historical and modern works via the MoMA Bauhaus 1919-1928 Exhibition Catalog. [1, 2, 3]