Architecture, Tel Aviv, Israel (2009-08-31) by Travel InkGetty Images
Bauhaus is a modernist wonder of practical design and fluid shapes. It’s changed Tel Aviv, making the city a global destination for architecture lovers and tourists alike. Here’s a whirlwind sampling of the most drool-worthy buildings you’ve ever seen (and a little bit of cultural history that might surprise you).
The beginning of a simpler city
Tel Aviv’s White City is home to the most Bauhaus buildings in the world–it has over 4,000 of them. Bauhaus is about design with functionality, so there aren’t a lot of flourishes.
Architecture, Tel Aviv, Israel (From the collection of Getty Images)
Instead, they emphasize easy-on-the-eye curves, linear elements, and construction that values easily available materials.
Sascha Johrden's Design at Bauhaus Archiv Berlin (2016) by Sascha JohrdenLette Verein Berlin
Sascha Johrden’s Design at Bauhaus Archiv Berlin (From the collection of Lette Verein Berlin)
How Bauhaus began
Bauhaus as a principle started in Berlin when the designer Walter Gropius wanted to bring beauty and smart design to homes everywhere. His modernist concepts resulted in the simple lines it’s known for. But it wasn’t just meant for Berlin, and it took off in Tel Aviv’s White City.
Exterior view of Bauhaus Archiv (2017) by Walter Gropius, Alex Cvijanovic, and Hans BandelLette Verein Berlin
Exterior view of Bauhaus Archiv (From the collection of Lette Verein Berlin)
When Patrick Geddes planned a new city design for Tel Aviv, Bauhaus got a massive stage thanks to architects who came together to shape the White City. After Geddes planned it, other architects filled in the details, letting Bauhaus design flow through the streets and create a visionary place.
The White City, Hagilboa Street, 1996 (1996)World Monuments Fund
The White City, Hagilboa Street, 1996 (From the collection of World Monuments Fund)
Designing with intent
The architects used white to deflect heat, and shrunk broad windows to be smaller, keeping the rooms cool. Walking the streets of the White City, you see just how smartly designed it is thanks to Geddes and his team. Sloping, curving balconies and cream-colored surfaces make sense for Tel Aviv’s climate, and also make for a delightful walking tour.
Bauhaus goes tiny
But Bauhaus isn’t limited to buildings. Its signature ideas play across smaller everyday objects like chairs and lamps that have the same practical inception and accessible materials. They’re meant for normal daily use, and to carry the simple ideals reflected in the architecture.
Model B46 chair (1928 - 1930) by Marcel Lajos BreuerMuseo Nacional de Artes Decorativas
Model B46 Chair (From the collection of Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas)
Even on a shrunken scale, these Bauhaus objects provide simplified living. They’re not too cluttered or overdesigned. The pared down beauty and function make for a chair that’s comfortable and a lamp that lights your room, but doesn’t pull focus from what they need to do.
Standard Lamp (1926) by Wilhelm Wagenfeld, designer; Metallwerkstatt des Staatlichen Bauhauses, manufacturerThe Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Standard Lamp (From the collection of The Nelson-Adkins Museum of Art)
Whether it’s in a little way, like the smart detail of a window, or a big way on a whole cityscape, the White City and its design shows how Bauhaus can simplify and improve our existences. And, to be truly honest, it doesn’t hurt that it’s pretty, too.
Detail of Bauhaus architecture on Sderot Nordau in Tel Aviv, Israel (2009-06-04) by Barry WinikerGetty Images
Detail of Bauhaus architecture on Sderot Nordau in Tel Aviv, Israel (From the collection of Getty Images)
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