“Design nature”: A color interpretation of Bauhaus school building in Dessau and its conceptual origins

In modernist architecture, color serves as a crucial tool in shaping spatial experiences. However, due to historical reasons, the color design of early modernist architecture has not been fully explored. The paper focuses on the iconic modernist work, the Bauhaus school building in Dessau. Through h...

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Main Authors: Yuan Meng, Wei Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2025-02-01
Series:Frontiers of Architectural Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095263524001043
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author Yuan Meng
Wei Liu
author_facet Yuan Meng
Wei Liu
author_sort Yuan Meng
collection DOAJ
description In modernist architecture, color serves as a crucial tool in shaping spatial experiences. However, due to historical reasons, the color design of early modernist architecture has not been fully explored. The paper focuses on the iconic modernist work, the Bauhaus school building in Dessau. Through historical investigation and theoretical research, it elucidates the evolution of color cognition from the perspectives of color theory development, architectural color characteristics, and the interaction between visual perception and color. On this basis, it explores the color theory origins of the Bauhaus and Gropius, dissecting the conceptual framework and methods behind the color design of the Bauhaus school building in Dessau. Additionally, this article analyzes the spatial characteristics of architectural color from an experiential standpoint. The paper argues that Gropius conveyed his concept of “natural perspective” through color design, emphasizing the eternal value of natural internal logic. The Bauhaus redefined the role of color in architectural expression, based on natural laws, and deduced a scientifically designed method related to perception, promoting a shift in color design from subjective to objective and injecting deeper connotations into architectural color.
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publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
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spelling doaj-art-91fe126b9a9c44979ab4510ce1503d2c2025-01-21T04:13:03ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Frontiers of Architectural Research2095-26352025-02-011413261“Design nature”: A color interpretation of Bauhaus school building in Dessau and its conceptual originsYuan Meng0Wei Liu1School of Urban Design, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, ChinaSchool of Urban Design, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; Carbon Neutral Strategic Planning and Spatial Design Research Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; Corresponding author.In modernist architecture, color serves as a crucial tool in shaping spatial experiences. However, due to historical reasons, the color design of early modernist architecture has not been fully explored. The paper focuses on the iconic modernist work, the Bauhaus school building in Dessau. Through historical investigation and theoretical research, it elucidates the evolution of color cognition from the perspectives of color theory development, architectural color characteristics, and the interaction between visual perception and color. On this basis, it explores the color theory origins of the Bauhaus and Gropius, dissecting the conceptual framework and methods behind the color design of the Bauhaus school building in Dessau. Additionally, this article analyzes the spatial characteristics of architectural color from an experiential standpoint. The paper argues that Gropius conveyed his concept of “natural perspective” through color design, emphasizing the eternal value of natural internal logic. The Bauhaus redefined the role of color in architectural expression, based on natural laws, and deduced a scientifically designed method related to perception, promoting a shift in color design from subjective to objective and injecting deeper connotations into architectural color.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095263524001043Dessau BauhausWalter GropiusArchitectural space color designEducational philosophyOrigin tracing research
spellingShingle Yuan Meng
Wei Liu
“Design nature”: A color interpretation of Bauhaus school building in Dessau and its conceptual origins
Frontiers of Architectural Research
Dessau Bauhaus
Walter Gropius
Architectural space color design
Educational philosophy
Origin tracing research
title “Design nature”: A color interpretation of Bauhaus school building in Dessau and its conceptual origins
title_full “Design nature”: A color interpretation of Bauhaus school building in Dessau and its conceptual origins
title_fullStr “Design nature”: A color interpretation of Bauhaus school building in Dessau and its conceptual origins
title_full_unstemmed “Design nature”: A color interpretation of Bauhaus school building in Dessau and its conceptual origins
title_short “Design nature”: A color interpretation of Bauhaus school building in Dessau and its conceptual origins
title_sort design nature a color interpretation of bauhaus school building in dessau and its conceptual origins
topic Dessau Bauhaus
Walter Gropius
Architectural space color design
Educational philosophy
Origin tracing research
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095263524001043
work_keys_str_mv AT yuanmeng designnatureacolorinterpretationofbauhausschoolbuildingindessauanditsconceptualorigins
AT weiliu designnatureacolorinterpretationofbauhausschoolbuildingindessauanditsconceptualorigins