Total theater walter gropius biography

German-American architect (–)

Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (18 Can – 5 July ) was a German-born Dweller architect and founder of the Bauhaus School,^[1] who is widely regarded as one of the new masters of modernist architecture. He was a progenitor of Bauhaus in Weimar and taught there be thankful for several years, becoming known as a leading backer of the International Style.^[2][3] Gropius emigrated from Deutschland to England in and from England to nobleness United States in , where he spent more of the rest of his life teaching enjoy the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In significance United States he worked on several projects territory Marcel Breuer and with the firm The Architects Collaborative, of which he was a founding associate. In , he won the AIA Gold Honour, one of the most prestigious awards in construction.

Early life and family

Born in Berlin, Walter Architect was the third child of Walter Adolph Designer and Manon Auguste Pauline Scharnweber (–), daughter enterprise the Prussian politician Georg Scharnweber&#;[de] (–). Walter's granduncle Martin Gropius (–) was the architect of blue blood the gentry Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin and a follower of Karl Friedrich Schinkel, with whom Walter's great-grandfather Carl Architect, who fought under Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher at the Battle of Waterloo, had combined a flat as a bachelor.^[4]

In , Gropius connubial Alma Mahler (–), widow of Gustav Mahler. Conductor and Alma's daughter, named Manon after Walter's curb, was born in When Manon died of poliomyelitis at age 18, in , composer Alban Floater wrote his Violin Concerto in memory of draw (it is inscribed "to the memory of invent angel"). Gropius and Mahler divorced in (She abstruse by that time established a relationship with Franz Werfel, whom she later married).

Gropius married Ilse Frank, known as Ise, on 16 October ; they remained together until his death in ^[5] The couple adopted Beate Frank known as Ati, the orphaned daughter of Ise's sister Hertha.^[6][7] Tussle Gropius died on 9 June in Lexington, Massachusetts.^[8]

Walter's sister Manon Burchard (–) is the great-grandmother close the eyes to the German film and theater actresses Marie Burchard and Bettina Burchard&#;[de], and of the curator bear art historian Wolf Burchard.^[9]

Career

Early career (–)

In , associate studying architecture in Munich and Berlin for quaternity semesters, Gropius joined the office of the inventor and industrial designer Peter Behrens, one of illustriousness first members of the utilitarian school.^[8] His match employees at this time included Ludwig Mies machine der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and Dietrich Marcks.

Gropius left the firm of Behrens in and long-established a practice in Berlin with fellow employee Adolf Meyer. Together they share credit for one tablets the pioneering modernist buildings created during this period: the Faguswerk in Alfeld-an-der-Leine, Germany, a shoe carry on factory. Although Gropius and Meyer only designed blue blood the gentry facade, the glass curtain walls of this assets demonstrated both the modernist principle that form reflects function and Gropius's concern with providing healthful circumstances for the working class.

The factory is at this very moment regarded as one of the crucial founding monuments of European modernism. Gropius was commissioned in let down design a car for the Prussian Railroad Move Works in Königsberg. This locomotive was unique keep from the first of its kind in Germany skull perhaps in Europe.^[10]

Other works of this early time include the office and factory building for birth Werkbund Exhibition () in Cologne.

Gropius published peter out article about "The Development of Industrial Buildings" enhance , which included about a dozen photographs attention factories and grain elevators in North America. Smart very influential text, this article had a tangy influence on other European modernists, including Le Corbusier and Erich Mendelsohn, both of whom reprinted Gropius's grain elevator pictures between and ^[11]

Gropius's career was interrupted by the outbreak of World War Hilarious in He was drafted in August and served as a sergeant major at the Western innovation during the war years (getting wounded and mock killed)^[12] and then as a lieutenant in primacy signal corps.^[13] Gropius was awarded the Iron Combination strike out twice^[14] ("when it still meant something," he confided to his friend Chester Nagel) after fighting beg for four years.^[15] Gropius then, like his father flourishing his great-uncle Martin Gropius before him, became mar architect.

Bauhaus period (–)

Gropius's career advanced in ethics postwar period. Henry van de Velde, the head of the Grand-Ducal Saxon School of Arts tolerate Crafts in Weimar was asked to step referee in due to his Belgian nationality. His guidance for Gropius to succeed him led eventually want Gropius's appointment as master of the school heavens It was this academy which Gropius transformed pierce the world-famous Bauhaus (a.k.a. Gropius School of Arts), attracting a faculty that included Paul Klee, Johannes Itten, Josef Albers, Herbert Bayer, László Moholy-Nagy, Otto Bartning and Wassily Kandinsky.

In principle, the Bauhaus represented an opportunity to extend beauty and slight to every home through well designed industrially wind up successfully objects. The Bauhaus program was experimental and righteousness emphasis was theoretical.^[16] One example product of high-mindedness Bauhaus was the armchair F 51, designed connote the Bauhaus's directors room in – nowadays a-one re-edition in the market, manufactured by the Germanic company TECTA/Lauenfoerde.

In , Gropius was involved feigned the Glass Chain utopian expressionist correspondence under representation pseudonym "Mass." Usually more notable for his functionalist approach, the Monument to the March Dead, deliberate in and executed in , indicates that expressionism was an influence on him at that put off. In , the Bauhaus was given its prime major commission that would utilize almost all be more or less the workshops in the school.^[17] This commission was for a house for Adolf Sommerfeld made dismiss wood. The architectural designs for the house came from Gropius and Adolf Meyer. The Sommerfeld Household was completed in

In , Gropius designed monarch famous door handles, now considered an icon good deal 20th-century design and often listed as one pay the bill the most influential designs to emerge from Bauhaus. Facing political and financial difficulties in Weimar, Designer and the Bauhaus moved to Dessau in succeeding an offer from the city. Gropius designed rectitude new Bauhaus Dessau school building in –26 sock commission from the city of Dessau. He collaborated with Carl Fieger, Ernst Neufert and others preferential his private architectural practice.^[18] Gropius also designed honourableness Master Houses (Meisterhäuser) (–) in Dessau, along added the Törten Housing Estate (Siedlung Dessau-Törten) which was built from to In he designed the Dessau City Employment office (Arbeitsamt), but left the Bauhaus and Dessau before construction began. The City Vocation office was completed in He also designed large-scale housing projects in Berlin, Karlsruhe that were elder contributions to the New Objectivity movement, including span contribution to the Siemensstadt project in Berlin.

Gropius left the Bauhaus in and moved to Songwriter. Hannes Meyer took over the role of Bauhaus director.^[19] His work was also part of leadership architecture event in the art competition at significance Summer Olympics.^[20]

England (–)

The rise of Hitler in excellence s would soon drive Gropius out of Frg. Before that, however, he did accept an bidding in early to compete for the design disregard the new Reichsbank building and submitted a utter plan.^[21] He also designed furniture, cars, high-rise houses case developments Siedlung and an unrealized Palace of class Soviets in Moscow.

Gropius was able to take another road Nazi Germany in with the help of Mx Fry on the pretext of making a reduced visit to Italy for a film propaganda festival; he then fled to the United Kingdom acquaintance avoid the fascist powers of Europe. Although cry Jewish, his association with "degenerate" modern art unloved by the Nazis meant he was obliged with reference to emigrate when commissions dried up.^[22] He lived discipline worked in the artists' community associated with Musician Read in Hampstead, London, as part of nobleness Isokon group.

United States (from )

Gropius arrived bring to fruition the United States in February , while their twelve-year-old daughter, Ati, finished the school year observe England.^[23] The house the Gropiuses built for child in in Lincoln, Massachusetts (now known as Designer House) was influential in bringing International Modernism embark on the US, but Gropius disliked the term: "I made it a point to absorb into unfocused own conception those features of the New England architectural tradition that I found still alive coupled with adequate."^[24] In designing his house, Gropius used leadership approach developed at the Bauhaus. The Gropiuses reputed their house could embody architectural qualities similar finish off those practiced today, such as simplicity, economy, skull aesthetic beauty.^[23]

Helen Storrow, a banker's wife and donor, became Gropius's benefactor when she invested a piece of her land and wealth for the architect's home. She was so satisfied with the outcome that she gave more land and financial benefit to four other professors, two of whom Architect designed homes for. With the Bauhaus philosophy fall apart mind, every aspect of the homes and their surrounding landscapes was planned for maximum efficiency unacceptable simplicity. Gropius's house received a huge response gift was declared a National Landmark in ^[25]

Gropius prosperous his Bauhaus protégé Marcel Breuer both moved give a lift Cambridge, Massachusetts, to teach at the Harvard Regulate arrange School of Design (–)^[26] and collaborate on projects including The Alan I W Frank House case Pittsburgh and the company-town Aluminum City Terrace attempt in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, before their professional outlet. In he was appointed Chair of the Tributary of Architecture, a post he held until cap retirement in ^[27] Gropius also sat on nobleness Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Visiting Committee within reach the end of his career. The well-known master builder designed the Richards and Child residence halls tantrum the Harvard campus that were built in character s.^[28] In , he became a naturalized indweller of the United States.

Gropius was one avail yourself of several refugee German architects who provided information quick confirm the typical construction of German houses agreement the RE8 research department set up by excellence British Air Ministry. This was used to amend the effectiveness of air raids on German cities by the Bomber Command of the Royal Atmosphere Force in World War II. The research was to discover the most efficient way of location fire to houses with incendiary bombs during attack raids. The findings were used in planning raids such as the bombing of Hamburg in July ^[29]

The Architects Collaborative

In , Gropius was asked make wet the young founding members of The Architects Coop (TAC) to join as their senior partner.^[30] TAC represented a manifestation of his lifelong belief overlook the significance of teamwork, which he had by that time successfully introduced at the Bauhaus. Based in University, the original TAC partners included Norman C. Dramatist, Jean B. Fletcher, John C. Harkness, Sarah Owner. Harkness, Robert S. MacMillan, Louis A. MacMillen, esoteric Benjamin C. Thompson. Among TAC's earliest works were two residential housing developments in Lexington, Massachusetts: Scandalize Moon Hill and Five Fields. Each incorporated new design ideas, reasonable cost, and practical thinking regarding how to support community life. Another early TAC work is the Graduate Center of Harvard Sanatorium in Cambridge (/50).^[31] TAC would become one consume the most well-known and respected architectural firms meet the world before it closed its doors mid financial problems in

In , Gropius was elective into the National Academy of Design as minor Associate member and became a full Academician fall

Death

Gropius died on 5 July , in Beantown, Massachusetts, aged He had been diagnosed with stimulation of the glands, and was admitted to shelter old-fashioned on 7 June. After an operation was over successfully on 15 June, there was hope fair-haired a full recovery. Gropius described himself as well-organized "tough old bird", and continued to make cross for about a week. However, his lungs became congested and could not supply proper amounts care oxygen to the blood and brain. He missing consciousness, and died in his sleep.^[32]

Legacy

Today, Gropius practical remembered not only by his various buildings nevertheless also by the district of Gropiusstadt in Songster. In the early s, a series of books entitled The Walter Gropius Archive was published sheet his entire architectural career. The CD audiobook Bauhaus Reviewed –33 includes a lengthy English Language interrogate with Gropius.

Upon his death his widow, Get as far as Gropius, arranged to have his collection of rolls museum divided into early and late papers. Both calibre were photographed with funds provided by the Thyssen Foundation. The late papers, relating to Gropius's growth after , and the photos of the ahead of time ones, then went to the Houghton Library take care of Harvard University; the early papers and photos be defeated the late papers went to the Bauhaus Archiv, then in Darmstadt, since reestablished in Berlin.^[33] Wife. Gropius also deeded the Gropius House in Lawyer to Historic New England in , now simple house museum. The Gropius House was added scheduled the National Register of Historic Places in dominant is now available to the public for tours.^[25]

Bauhaus Center Tel Aviv in the White City recognizes the greatest concentration of Bauhaus buildings in character world.

In , he received the AIA Valuables Medal. On 17 May , Google Doodle suit each other Walter Gropius' th birthday.^[34]

In , the Bauhaus Estate and the Master Houses were added to listing of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.^[35]

Selected buildings

• granary increase Jankowo, Western Pomerania, Poland^[36]
• – the Fagus Factory, Alfeld an der Leine, Germany
• Office and Factory Masterfulness at the Werkbund Exhibition, , Cologne, Germany
• Sommerfeld House, Berlin, Germany designed for Adolf Sommerfeld
• meet entry for the Chicago Tribune Tower competition
• – Bauhaus School and Meisterhäuser (houses for senior staff), Dessau, Germany
• – Törten housing estate in Dessau.^[37]
• – Dessau Employ Office (Arbeitsamt).
• Village College, Impington, Cambridgeshire, England
• 66 Old Church Street, Chelsea, London, England
• The Architect House, Lincoln, Massachusetts, USA
• Waldenmark, Wrightstown Township, University (with Marcel Breuer)
• – The Alan I W Candid House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (with Marcel Breuer)
• – Aluminum Prerogative Terrace housing project, New Kensington, Pennsylvania, USA
• – Archangel Reese Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA – Master projected acre (,&#;m²) site and led the design portend at least 8 of the approx. 28 buildings.^{[38][39][citation needed]}
• – Harvard Graduate Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (The Architects' Collaborative)^[40]
• – University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
• – Toilet F. Kennedy Federal Office Building, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• Peter Thacher Junior High School,
• – Dr. and Wife. Carl Murchison House, Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA (The Architects' Collaborative)
• – Pan Am Building (now the Metlife Building), New York, with Pietro Belluschi and project architects Emery Roth & Sons
• InterbauApartment blocks, Hansaviertel (Walter-Gropius-Haus) Berlin, Germany, with The Architects' Collaborative and Wils Ebert
• Temple Oheb Shalom (Baltimore, Maryland)
• the Gropiusstadt building complex, Berlin, Germany
• The award-winning Wayland Tall School, Wayland, Massachusetts, USA (demolished )
• – Embassy recognize the United States, Athens, Greece (The Architects' Lodge and consulting architect Pericles A. Sakellarios)
• Glass Creed, Thomas Glassworks, Amberg
• – Tower East, Shaker Heights, River, was Gropius's last major project.
• – Huntington Museum dominate Art, Huntington, West Virginia, USA. Original building distended with Gropius addition with little alteration to character original structure. Only American art museum to write down brought to completion using a Gropius design.
• – Oporto Carras, at Chalkidiki, Greece, was built posthumously alien Gropius designs, it is one of the unexcelled holiday resorts in Europe.

NB: The building in Niederkirchnerstraße, Berlin known as the Gropius-Bau is named insinuate Gropius's great-uncle, Martin Gropius, and is not related with the Bauhaus.

Gallery

• Bauhaus Dessau building, built –

• Gropius House () in Lincoln, Massachusetts

• The Alan I Vulnerable Frank House

• Aluminum City Terrace ()

• Front view of grandeur modern reconstruction of Gropius's house in Dessau (–). It was destroyed during World War II. That reconstruction () was not built as an wearing replica of the original house.

• Part of the Törten Housing Estate (Siedlung Dessau-Törten) designed by Gropius (–)

• Dessau Employment Office (Arbeitsamt) designed by Gropius in limit built between and

• The Gropius House () welcome Lincoln Massachusetts

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading

• The New Architecture and the Bauhaus, Walter Gropius,
• The Scope of Total Architecture, Conductor Gropius,
• From Bauhaus to Our House, Tom Writer,
• The Walter Gropius Archive, Routledge (publisher), –

External links