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Reinterpreting Bauhaus architecture, a century later

Nadine Wojcik / adDecember 3, 2015

To properly display the works of the influential art school for its 100th anniversary, new buildings are planned for the Bauhaus museums in Berlin, Dessau, Weimar. Discover the best designs.

https://p.dw.com/p/1HGIx
Bauhaus Museum Berlin Copyright: Staab Architekten, Berlin
Image: Staab Architekten, Berlin

Modern living for a modern lifestyle: in 1919, architect Walter Gropius created his decisive concept which would transform the postwar cultural landscape.

The Bauhaus School was way more than just a new architectural style. By bringing craftsmen and artists together, Gropius aimed to go beyond individual solutions to create "total works of art." Bauhaus went on to evolve into the most important school of architecture, art and design of the 20th century.

Current museums overfilled

Almost 100 years later, the Bauhaus museums in Berlin, Dessau and Weimar, originally the three most important Bauhaus locations, educate the public about the original ideas of the avant-garde movement with permanent and changing exhibitions on design, everyday objects and architecture.

In all three cities, the exhibition spaces were too small to conveniently display the numerous exhibits of the collections.

Achitecture competition

With the 100th anniversary of Bauhaus upcoming in 2019, the German government decided to fund expansions or new buildings for the Bauhaus museums in these three cities.

In Berlin, the museum building designed by Walter Gropius will be enlarged, whereas completely new buildings are planned in Dessau and Weimar. Playful, delicate, minimalist: the drafts designed by architectural teams from around the world offer renewed interpretations of Bauhaus design.

The exhibition "Moving Forward" shows the best of the submitted concepts at the Bauhaus Museum in Berlin until February 29, 2016.