Architecture
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From Bauhaus to Our House
For me, the Bauhaus Movement has long been a fascinating, as well as a revolutionary one. Image what was going through most people’s minds when they first came across this minimalist aesthetic after being accustomed to a variety of ornate architecture and furniture designs. It must have been quite a shock! I wrote this article, nearly 10 years ago when I attended Parsons, and occasionally found myself referring back to it, either for design ideas or simply just because…
Oskar Schlemmer. Bauhaus Stairway. 1932. Oil on canvas
The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Philip Johnson.
© 2009 Estate of Oskar Schlemmer, Munich/Germany“The greater the chaos in the outside world, the more people seek clarity, peace and order at home.” These words were uttered by Wolfgang von Wersin in connection with the fact that after the First World War, German designers found themselves excluded on political grounds from the progress in the decorative and applied arts in Europe, and there were no longer wealthy clients abound wanting to have their villas built and furnished in luxury. In 1919, an attempt to rectify these new challenges fell in the direction of a man by the name of Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus Movement.
Bauhaus Master House
Marcel Breuer Tubular’s Stell Chair, 1926Backtracking a bit, one could see how this stunning innovation took further roots. Weimar, Germany was once a prominent literary city but fell out of grace in the 19th Century due to a virtual insignificance, and the beginning of cultural renaissance, and was brought forth by the design of the Nietzsche Archive in 1903 by the architect and designer, Henry van de Velde. Van de Velve had made his name in his native Belgium in the 1890s. He had spent some time in Paris, where the art dealer, Samuel Bing sought unsuccessfully to promote his talents in his gallery La maison de L’Art Nouveau, which also showed the work of other prominent designers of that time, and then moved to Berlin in 1900.
Walter Gropius’ house in MassachusettsIn 1902, a Count Kessler, one of the most influential patrons of the Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) invited van de Velde to Weimar as principal of the Grand Duchy of Saxony’s new School of Applied Arts. He intended for this little regional capital to follow the Darmstadt model and become a center of progressive German art. Van de Velde indeed brought a breath of fresh air into the little town stultified by conservative historicism. He began by setting up craft workshops, assisting them financially with the proceeds from his many private commissions; and by placing his furniture orders with local artisans, such as the Scheidemantel firm, he helped them to achieve an undreamed-of prosperity. It was van de Velde who, in 1915, suggested that Walter Gropius should establish a school providing artistic guidance for industry, trade and craft.This institution eventually materialized as the Bauhaus, which was to be responsible for one of the most important chapters in the international history of design in the 20th Century. At the Bauhaus institution, Mr. Gropius’ students were none others than the greatest painters, graphic designers and architects of his day. The institution also contained a carpenter’s workshop, a metal workshop, a pottery, and facilities for paining on glass, mural painting, weaving, printing, wood and stone sculpting. The Bauhaus institute flourished under such great artists, but it also generated a radical set of ideas. What exactly were those ideas?Well, the school aimed at dictating function alone and encouraged its students to work cooperatively and combine all of their skills. There was no justification for decorative features, unless they were traditionally associated with a particular material or their application facilitated the production process and therefore fitted a practical purpose. At the Bauhaus, Marcel Breuer and Mies van der Rohe produced some of the canons of modern furniture design – most notable in Breuer’s tubular steel chair, which became an icon of 20th Century design.In was Walter Gropius himself who said, “The Bauhaus believes the machine to be our modern medium of design and seeks to come to terms with it.” When one look at the interior of a Bauhaus building, one would see that an emphasis was placed on factory-produced designs that were simple, functional, and industrial. The egalitarian philosophy espoused by the school embraced clean designs in basic materials, and this philosophy permeated all types of design, from furniture to textiles to applied art.Alas, not all were in favor of these new ideas. Stark white washed walls were perceived by some as “operating theater”; and some people at the time felt that they were entitled to art as well, and preferred the styles of the past.Recommended Reading: Bauhaus 1919-1933 by Magdalena DrosteBauhaus by Jeannine FielderDesign and Form: The Basic course at the Bauhaus by Johannes IttenNOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you.
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The Weekender: Endless Summer
Capri, c’est fini!The last few days, I’ve been thinking allot about Capri, Italy. In this blog, I often talk about my hotel experiences. Either those I’ve been to, or those I’ve yet to explore.The J.K. Place Capri is perched on a cliff above the sea, and it boasts breathtaking, ringside views of the waves. As well as a sense of being on a yacht, with its pale-wood floors and jauntily striped textiles which you will find throughout the beautifully decorated 22-rooms hotel.The J.K. Place Capri is the sort of hotel that is definitely high on our family’s list. A few years back, one of my designer friend stayed at this hotel which is located off above the main ferry port of Marina Grande.
Now married with children, my friend is about to embark on another adventure to Capri, and he’s been recalling his memories of this town and the hotel, as they’re getting ready to take off in the middle of next week.
The main dining room is mainly all white (but exceptionally attractive with accents of fresh flowers and beautifully designed pillows), which makes it a heavenly welcome, especially during thosemorning breakfasts.
The penthouse suite is spectacularly designed with muted tones so as not to distract from the main attraction – the ocean view. How gloriously inviting is this view?
The hotel was stylishly decorated by Florentine decorator Michele Bonan. The design feels like the house of a refined and wealthy collector, and the accents throughout the place are a bit feminine, and at times, nautical.
There are splashes of bright and pastels colors throughout the hotel, to enliven the eclectic sprinkling of antique furniture. All the public places have dark-wood floors which give J.K. Place
Capri a true sense of being a resort hotel.
Recent pieces in sixties-retro style, wing chairs, statues and framed atelier drawings decorate the downstairs lounge, and library. All these elements contribute to a feeling of a home away from home.Although a bit out of the way (which I think is part of its charm), you will have to take the funicular or a car to reach Capri town, but the hotel is well worth the effort, and I look forward to discover it one day. But for now, I will have to live vicariously through my friend Bernard and his wife Sophie.225 Via Provinciale Marina GrandeMarina Grande, CapriItaly 80073Tel: 39 081 838 4001* Don’t forget to participate in our End of Summer Giveaways, listed here on High End Weekly™.NOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you. -
Art Deco Town
Rockefeller Center
My friends holiday came to an end last weekend, and with great sadness, I bid them goodbye as they took off to their native France. It’s always great seeing Nathalie again, especially after several years being apart from each other. On this trip, she brought her friend Lucie, and so I got to meet someone who I have a feeling that I’ll get to be friends with, as the years go by. Since I played the tourist the majority of the time they were here, I took them to some of my favorite places. The Rockefeller Center reminded me, again and again, how art deco plays a major part in the city which I love.Walking around The Rockefeller Center
Lee Lawrie’s Wisdom, Light and Sound30 Rockefeller Center, NYC
Tree gate at 626 Fifth Avenue
Radio City Music HallAbove images courtesy Vyna St Phard
A soaring view from The Chrysler Building
The Essex House: Central Park South
The French Building: 551 Fifth Avenue
From architecture, art, and everyday objects, New York can truly be described as an art deco town, and as a New Yorker, I am ever so pleased to live among such beauty, all year round.
New York City’s first “green” high rise, The Hearst Tower, floating above the original Hearst structure, 300 West 58th Street
The Lenox Lounge in Harlem
Photo: J. RolekeArt Deco-Style entrance to an apartment building north of Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside
Art Deco Living Room at The Brooklyn Museum
Louis Vuitton went Deco – For a limited time
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Art Deco Dreams
Architectural References of
Art Deco Buildings transmitted to Jewelry
DeWitt
The DeWitt Twenty-8-Eight Regulator A.S.W. Horizons features a winding system
that maintains optimum main spring torque. It also features dead-beat seconds, an in-house tourbillon and a 72-hour power reserve.
Tiret Second Chance ChryslerDepicting the Chrysler Building in a brilliant array of diamonds across the metal dial, this unusual timepiece displays double time zones, double chronographs, and double date windows. The oval-shaped stainless steel boasts a bezel featuring twelve subtle curves that sparkle with a sprinkling of diamonds at each hour marker.
Harry WinstonThe King of DiamondsNOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you.
