Aesthetics and Cultural Aspects of Bauhaus Towards a New Conception
In this article the Bauhaus school's style is seen as representative of architecture and design in the context of contemporary global society. Bauhaus has influenced generations of artists, architects, and designers – in Germany, the North and South Americas, and beyond, including, for instance, and with particular significance, the architecture and design of Brazil. The legendary Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, who had German roots, designed for the Berlin Hansaviertel, and for the Brazilian capital, and other architectural projects. His architecture and design fulfilled the central demands of the Bauhaus school: that it should be functional and create a sense of community. Contemporary architecture and design in this style therefore offers new achievements and knowledge based on the current politics of sustainable development, and social and economic integration, alongside the essential Bauhaus heritage of function and community. This proposal covers the new possibilities of the Bauhaus worldview: the creation of new forms for depicting human ideals, through a focus on aesthetics and technology, combined with Niemeyer's impact on architecture and design, still vibrant at the beginning of this century in Brazil. New styles and forms have arisen as offshoots from Bauhaus, which convey the values of each culture through the construction of a collective 'picture' world. The Bauhaus of today expresses the culture industry, dialectically considering innovation and applied art as a path from the modern design of the industrial revolution to 'eco-design'. In this sense, Bauhaus is still significant in its role of linking together art, technology, and industry. Innovation as a dynamic determination of the moment, present in all epochs, is understood as a potent force for maintaining tradition. In addition to a chronological record of the influence of Bauhaus, the significant projects of Niemeyer will be discussed. Finally, this proposal presents two perspectives on the 'schism' between architecture and technology. ...