The Enduring Impact of the Bauhaus Experiment on Interior Design Education

Abstract

For an institution whose existence was so brief, the enduring impact of the Bauhaus on architecture and the design disciplines is astonishing. There is no denying the ongoing relevance of the design and pedagogical experimentation undertaken there: from a vision of a new unity of art and architecture to radical ideas propounding the social relevance of design; from the admission of women to courses (albeit mostly con fi ned to the weaving department) to the concerted collaboration with industry; from its radical curriculum, which included hands-on training and production in the workshops, to its inspiring teachers. It is not a singular identity but rather a diversity of approaches that the Bauhaus has left behind as its legacy. In situation and structure, through concepts and ideas, Bauhaus seems to have set itself apart from previous approaches to education, making its experiment something unique and hopeful, right up until the moment that national socialism took hold. One hundred years since the opening of the Bauhaus in 1919, it is worth re