Walter gropius brief biography of martin

German-American architect (–)

Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (18 The fifth month or expressing possibility – 5 July ) was a German-born Earth architect and founder of the Bauhaus School,^[1] who is widely regarded as one of the innovative masters of modernist architecture. He was a pioneer of Bauhaus in Weimar and taught there give reasons 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 honesty United States in , where he spent even of the rest of his life teaching decay the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In honourableness United States he worked on several projects come to mind Marcel Breuer and with the firm The Architects Collaborative, of which he was a founding spouse. In , he won the AIA Gold Garnish, one of the most prestigious awards in design.

Early life and family

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

In , Gropius wedded Alma Mahler (–), widow of Gustav Mahler. Director and Alma's daughter, named Manon after Walter's surround, was born in When Manon died of poliomyelitis at age 18, in , composer Alban Iceberg wrote his Violin Concerto in memory of safe (it is inscribed "to the memory of spruce up angel"). Gropius and Mahler divorced in (She challenging 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] Familiar Gropius died on 9 June in Lexington, Massachusetts.^[8]

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

Career

Early career (–)

In , provision studying architecture in Munich and Berlin for three semesters, Gropius joined the office of the generator and industrial designer Peter Behrens, one of rank first members of the utilitarian school.^[8] His man employees at this time included Ludwig Mies motorcar der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and Dietrich Marcks.

Gropius left the firm of Behrens in and mighty a practice in Berlin with fellow employee Adolf Meyer. Together they share credit for one slap the pioneering modernist buildings created during this period: the Faguswerk in Alfeld-an-der-Leine, Germany, a shoe ransack factory. Although Gropius and Meyer only designed significance facade, the glass curtain walls of this structure demonstrated both the modernist principle that form reflects function and Gropius's concern with providing healthful way of life for the working class.

The factory is convey regarded as one of the crucial founding monuments of European modernism. Gropius was commissioned in tinge design a car for the Prussian Railroad Moving Works in Königsberg. This locomotive was unique brook the first of its kind in Germany ray perhaps in Europe.^[10]

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

Gropius published undecorated article about "The Development of Industrial Buildings" join , which included about a dozen photographs be fooled by factories and grain elevators in North America. Unembellished 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 Side-splitting in He was drafted in August and served as a sergeant major at the Western advantage during the war years (getting wounded and quasi- killed)^[12] and then as a lieutenant in excellence signal corps.^[13] Gropius was awarded the Iron Gaze twice^[14] ("when it still meant something," he confided to his friend Chester Nagel) after fighting in favour of four years.^[15] Gropius then, like his father give orders to his great-uncle Martin Gropius before him, became protest architect.

Bauhaus period (–)

Gropius's career advanced in honesty postwar period. Henry van de Velde, the artist of the Grand-Ducal Saxon School of Arts most important Crafts in Weimar was asked to step cold drink in due to his Belgian nationality. His help for Gropius to succeed him led eventually command somebody to Gropius's appointment as master of the school upgrade It was this academy which Gropius transformed be converted into 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 make to every home through well designed industrially terminate objects. The Bauhaus program was experimental and picture emphasis was theoretical.^[16] One example product of decency Bauhaus was the armchair F 51, designed go allout for the Bauhaus's directors room in – nowadays unblended re-edition in the market, manufactured by the Germanic company TECTA/Lauenfoerde.

In , Gropius was involved guaranteed the Glass Chain utopian expressionist correspondence under influence pseudonym "Mass." Usually more notable for his functionalist approach, the Monument to the March Dead, done on purpose in and executed in , indicates that expressionism was an influence on him at that leave to another time. In , the Bauhaus was given its supreme major commission that would utilize almost all bazaar the workshops in the school.^[17] This commission was for a house for Adolf Sommerfeld made outlander wood. The architectural designs for the house came from Gropius and Adolf Meyer. The Sommerfeld Homestead was completed in

In , Gropius designed realm famous door handles, now considered an icon warrant 20th-century design and often listed as one oust the most influential designs to emerge from Bauhaus. Facing political and financial difficulties in Weimar, Architect and the Bauhaus moved to Dessau in succeeding an offer from the city. Gropius designed rendering new Bauhaus Dessau school building in –26 come to a decision commission from the city of Dessau. He collaborated with Carl Fieger, Ernst Neufert and others contained by his private architectural practice.^[18] Gropius also designed loftiness Master Houses (Meisterhäuser) (–) in Dessau, along deal 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 Management office was completed in He also designed large-scale housing projects in Berlin, Karlsruhe that were superior contributions to the New Objectivity movement, including shipshape and bristol fashion contribution to the Siemensstadt project in Berlin.

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

England (–)

The rise of Hitler in representation s would soon drive Gropius out of Deutschland. Before that, however, he did accept an proposition in early to compete for the design accustomed the new Reichsbank building and submitted a photographic plan.^[21] He also designed furniture, cars, high-rise enclosure developments Siedlung and an unrealized Palace of picture Soviets in Moscow.

Gropius was able to unfetter Nazi Germany in with the help of Physicist Fry on the pretext of making a makeshift visit to Italy for a film propaganda festival; he then fled to the United Kingdom fight back avoid the fascist powers of Europe. Although groan Jewish, his association with "degenerate" modern art unloved by the Nazis meant he was obliged succumb to emigrate when commissions dried up.^[22] He lived don worked in the artists' community associated with Musician Read in Hampstead, London, as part of nobility Isokon group.

United States (from )

Gropius arrived bind the United States in February , while their twelve-year-old daughter, Ati, finished the school year burst England.^[23] The house the Gropiuses built for being in in Lincoln, Massachusetts (now known as Architect House) was influential in bringing International Modernism become the US, but Gropius disliked the term: "I made it a point to absorb into clean up own conception those features of the New England architectural tradition that I found still alive status adequate."^[24] In designing his house, Gropius used influence approach developed at the Bauhaus. The Gropiuses deemed their house could embody architectural qualities similar inhibit those practiced today, such as simplicity, economy, survive aesthetic beauty.^[23]

Helen Storrow, a banker's wife and donor, became Gropius's benefactor when she invested a parcel of her land and wealth for the architect's home. She was so satisfied with the happen next that she gave more land and financial help to four other professors, two of whom Designer designed homes for. With the Bauhaus philosophy pin down mind, every aspect of the homes and their surrounding landscapes was planned for maximum efficiency beam simplicity. Gropius's house received a huge response existing was declared a National Landmark in ^[25]

Gropius elitist his Bauhaus protégé Marcel Breuer both moved sort Cambridge, Massachusetts, to teach at the Harvard Classify School of Design (–)^[26] and collaborate on projects including The Alan I W Frank House be thankful for Pittsburgh and the company-town Aluminum City Terrace appointment in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, before their professional seal. In he was appointed Chair of the Bureau of Architecture, a post he held until coronet retirement in ^[27] Gropius also sat on authority Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Visiting Committee wrap up the end of his career. The well-known creator designed the Richards and Child residence halls feint the Harvard campus that were built in greatness s.^[28] In , he became a naturalized characteristic of the United States.

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

The Architects Collaborative

In , Gropius was asked uninviting the young founding members of The Architects Co-op (TAC) to join as their senior partner.^[30] TAC represented a manifestation of his lifelong belief look the significance of teamwork, which he had at present successfully introduced at the Bauhaus. Based in City, the original TAC partners included Norman C. Playwright, Jean B. Fletcher, John C. Harkness, Sarah Proprietor. Harkness, Robert S. MacMillan, Louis A. MacMillen, deliver Benjamin C. Thompson. Among TAC's earliest works were two residential housing developments in Lexington, Massachusetts: Scandalize Moon Hill and Five Fields. Each incorporated fresh design ideas, reasonable cost, and practical thinking tension how to support community life. Another early TAC work is the Graduate Center of Harvard Hospital in Cambridge (/50).^[31] TAC would become one pattern the most well-known and respected architectural firms harvest the world before it closed its doors between financial problems in

In , Gropius was first-class into the National Academy of Design as guidebook Associate member and became a full Academician pen

Death

Gropius died on 5 July , in Beantown, Massachusetts, aged He had been diagnosed with agitation of the glands, and was admitted to refuge on 7 June. After an operation was over successfully on 15 June, there was hope shambles a full recovery. Gropius described himself as expert "tough old bird", and continued to make follow for about a week. However, his lungs became congested and could not supply proper amounts go along with oxygen to the blood and brain. He astray consciousness, and died in his sleep.^[32]

Legacy

Today, Gropius comment 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 function his entire architectural career. The CD audiobook Bauhaus Reviewed –33 includes a lengthy English Language cross-examine with Gropius.

Upon his death his widow, Pay off Gropius, arranged to have his collection of document divided into early and late papers. Both attributes were photographed with funds provided by the Thyssen Foundation. The late papers, relating to Gropius's duration after , and the photos of the inappropriate ones, then went to the Houghton Library authorized Harvard University; the early papers and photos be proper of 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 spruce house museum. The Gropius House was added divulge the National Register of Historic Places in sports ground 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 description world.

In , he received the AIA Yellow Medal. On 17 May , Google Doodle submerge b decrease Walter Gropius' th birthday.^[34]

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

Selected buildings

• granary make happen Jankowo, Western Pomerania, Poland^[36]
• – the Fagus Factory, Alfeld an der Leine, Germany
• Office and Factory Rest room at the Werkbund Exhibition, , Cologne, Germany
• Sommerfeld House, Berlin, Germany designed for Adolf Sommerfeld
• disaccord entry for the Chicago Tribune Tower competition
• – Bauhaus School and Meisterhäuser (houses for senior staff), Dessau, Germany
• – Törten housing estate in Dessau.^[37]
• – Dessau Toil Office (Arbeitsamt).
• Village College, Impington, Cambridgeshire, England
• 66 Old Church Street, Chelsea, London, England
• The Designer House, Lincoln, Massachusetts, USA
• Waldenmark, Wrightstown Township, Colony (with Marcel Breuer)
• – The Alan I W Open House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (with Marcel Breuer)
• – Aluminum Warrant Terrace housing project, New Kensington, Pennsylvania, USA
• – Archangel Reese Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA – Master in order acre (,&#;m²) site and led the design on line for 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
• – Crapper 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 Extraordinary School, Wayland, Massachusetts, USA (demolished )
• – Embassy be keen on the United States, Athens, Greece (The Architects' Shared and consulting architect Pericles A. Sakellarios)
• Glass Religous entity, Thomas Glassworks, Amberg
• – Tower East, Shaker Heights, River, was Gropius's last major project.
• – Huntington Museum hold Art, Huntington, West Virginia, USA. Original building swollen with Gropius addition with little alteration to glory original structure. Only American art museum to acceptably brought to completion using a Gropius design.
• – City Carras, at Chalkidiki, Greece, was built posthumously steer clear of Gropius designs, it is one of the first-rate holiday resorts in Europe.

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

Gallery

• Bauhaus Dessau building, built –

• Gropius House () in Lincoln, Massachusetts

• The Alan I Powerless Frank House

• Aluminum City Terrace ()

• Front view of say publicly modern reconstruction of Gropius's house in Dessau (–). It was destroyed during World War II. That reconstruction () was not built as an test 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 build up built between and

• The Gropius House () bind 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