Walter Gropius

work compulsion spiritual meaning

“Only work which is the product of inner compulsion can have spiritual meaning.”

— Walter Gropius (1883-1969)

architecture begin engineering end

Architecture begins where engineering ends.”

— Walter Gropius (1883-1969)

contributin vital immortality

“If your contribution has been vital there will always be somebody to pick up where you left off, and that will be your claim to immortality.”

— Walter Gropius (1883-1969)

society image architect

“Society needs a good image of itself. That is the job of the architect.”

— Walter Gropius (1883-1969)

limitation creative mind inventive

“Limitation makes the creative mind inventive.”

— Walter Gropius (1883-1969)

art craftmanship teach architect painter sculptor requirement

“Art itself cannot be taught, but craftsmanship can. Architects, painters, sculptors are all craftsmen in the original sense of the word. Thus it is a fundamental requirement of all artistic creativity that every student undergo a thorough training in the workshops of all branches of the crafts.”

— Walter Gropius (1883-1969)

specialist repeat mistakes expert

“Specialists are people who always repeat the same mistakes.”

— Walter Gropius (1883-1969)

art dead civilized nation grotesque morgue museum

“Since art is dead in the actual life of civilized nations, it has been relegated to these grotesque morgues, museums.”

— Walter Gropius (1883-1969)

architecture democracy

“A modern, harmonic and lively architecture is the visible sign of authentic democracy.”

— Walter Gropius (1883-1969)

mind umbrella useful open

“The mind is like an umbrella. Its most useful when open.”

— Walter Gropius (1883-1969)

guiding principle design intellectual material life society

"Our guiding principle was that design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair, but simply an integral part of the stuff of life, necessary for everyone in a civilized society."

— Walter Gropius (1883-1969)

bauhaus fight imitation craftmanship artistic dilettantism

"The Bauhaus fights imitation, inferior craftsmanship and artistic dilettantism."

— Walter Gropius (1883-1969)