It’s almost impossible to overstate the significance of this building, erected in 1925–26, as a school of Bauhaus art, design and architecture. Today a smattering of lucky students from an urban studies program use some of the building, but much of it is open to the public. An audioguide is included with the admission fee, so you can tour the building and exhibition by yourself, although certain rooms are only revealed on a guided tour.
Two key pioneers of modern architecture, Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, served as the school’s directors. Gropius claimed that architecture was the ultimate of all artistic endeavours, and this building was the first real-life example of his vision. It was revolutionary, bringing industrial construction techniques, such as curtain walling and wide spans, into the public domain and presaging untold buildings worldwide. The school also disseminated the movement’s ideals of functionality and minimalism.