As a part of my Givens scholarship I examined Bauhaus architecture in Germany as well as some opposing architectural styles from a similar period. From my time learning about Bauhaus, my visit to the Bauhaus Museum in Weimar, Germany had the deepest effect on me. As a fan of the modern and mid-century modern architecture styles, I found the visit to be enlightening as I could learn about the original architecture movement that inspired the aforementioned styles. While the first parts of the museum dealt with artistic mediums other than architecture, it was precisely that part of Bauhaus that I was interested in learning more about.
Thankfully, I found the upper levels of the museum to be fully dedicated to the architectural side of Bauhaus. There, I learned about the origins of Bauhaus architecture as well as some of the early projects and model communities they had planned and partially realized. I was surprised to find that the houses they had built or had planned on building were quite similar to current modern architecture and some mid-century modern buildings built by the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright with their angular exteriors being made mostly of glass, metal, and concrete and their interiors adopting a largely open floor plan. In addition to architecture,
I also found the sections of the museums focusing on furniture – to which a surprising amount of the museum was dedicated – deeply interesting; many timeless designs still very well-known today made their debuts under Bauhaus. This added to my experience because I also maintain an interest in interior design.
What made this visit so meaningful was the connection I found between Bauhaus and later architectural styles that I was already drawn to. I had always thought that if I had not chosen to study Computer Science or some sort of engineering in college, I would have studied architecture. In fact, I was even a member of a student contingent which helped advise on the new student center at Wabash. My established interest in architecture broadened by my newfound appreciation for Bauhaus architecture made this visit the most special.
I would also like to extend a warm thank you to the Givens family for providing me with the opportunity to learn about interests that I would otherwise not have the means to experience on my own.
