Walter Gropius and the two subsequent heads of the Bauhaus, the architects Hannes Meyer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, introduced principles that shaped the foundation of modern architecture. Their philosophy emphasized the creation of classical forms without extraneous ornamentation; while embracing technology, it stressed the search for solutions to contemporary design problems in urban planning, housing and utilitarian mass-production.

Conceived as a multidisciplinary project encompassing architecture, design, and photography, the exhibition Bauhaus twenty-21 is the first critical and visual exploration of the Bauhaus heritage in the context of contemporary living and architecture. In a dialogue between the timeless modernism of Bauhaus architecture and the visions of contemporary practitioners, the exhibition offers a unique perspective on Bauhaus design philosophy as it relates to architecture and its relevance in today’s society – from the use of prefabricated housing techniques to create affordable housing, to early ideas in what is today sustainable (‘green’) architecture.

Bauhaus twenty-21 showcases 12 of the most iconic achievements of Bauhaus architecture in dialogue with 12 contemporary building projects by up-and-coming as well as internationally renowned contemporary architects – all illustrated by a series of images created by US photographer Gordon Watkinson. The exhibition, which bridges the fields of architecture, design and photography, places the heritage of Bauhaus architecture in the context of current architectural trends and visualizes its ongoing influence on 21st century architecture.

In his highly aesthetic images, photographer Gordon Watkinson focuses on the superlative quality of the buildings erected prior to 1933 by Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Hannes Meyer, Georg Muche and Richard Paulick. Stripping away all unnecessary elements in order to concentrate on the essence of his subjects, Watkinson captures the timelessness of modern architecture and juxtaposes some of its most emblematic examples to contemporary, typologically similar buildings. Among the present-day architects whose works can be seen in the exhibition are Allmann Sattler Wappner, Rolf Disch, Hanno Vogl- Fernheim, Fink+Jocher, Galli & Rudolf, Ingvartsen, Graham Phillips, Petzinka Pink, RCR Architects, Sauerbruch Hutton, Werner Sobek and Wingårdhs. Watkinson’s distinctive visual approach underlines the manifold legacy of Bauhaus ideas and formal language at  the beginning of the 21st century.

The numerous photographs, which highlight the aesthetics of New Objectivity and Functionalism, are complemented by the presentation of re-editions of Bauhaus furniture designed before 1933 and still manufactured today, inviting the visitors to interact and consciously experience the timeless character of these early 20th century designs in a contemporary context.

Devised deliberately as a counter-concept to the aesthetics of historicism, Bauhaus ambitions extended well beyond pure issues of design; functional objects, apartments and houses as well as the renunciation of ostentatious details were all an integral part of an agenda for social modernization that sought to dismantle class and social differences. The exhibition also includes succinct theoretical texts and architectural drawings that offer a new perspective on the design philosophy of the State Bauhaus School established in Weimar 90 years ago, and its influence on subsequent generations of architecture. Today, this abstract aesthetic as championed by Mies van der Rohe is being nurtured to a greater extent than ever before, and refined through advanced building technologies. Skywood House in Denham, the brainchild of Graham Phillips, can be considered a direct descendant of Mies van der Rohe’s famous German Pavilion in Barcelona. In this context even such different typologies as municipal project housing in Copenhagen, the private school in Wädenswil near Zurich, the Employment Center in Reutte/ Tirol, and Villa Roser in Skara/ Sweden all clearly bear common traits.