Bauhaus Building, Dessau, 1925-1926: Aerial view after 1926

Curator: This photograph, taken by Robert Petschow, shows an aerial view of the Bauhaus Building in Dessau, likely soon after its completion in 1926. It's fascinating, isn't it? So stark. Editor: Yes, and initially, I’m struck by the formal severity—the right angles, the flat roofs, the almost brutalist geometry, the hard line between the building and earth. Curator: Absolutely, that's the Bauhaus aesthetic. Petschow really captures the radical functionalism, the way form follows function without apology. It’s almost a dare to the viewer. Editor: And think of the labor and materials—the concrete, steel, and glass—the sheer will to manifest this vision of mass production and affordable design for living. This wasn't just architecture; it was a social project, constructed through a very deliberate, material process. Curator: It was utopian, wasn't it? The idea that good design could reform society. Looking at it now, it feels almost quaint, but the impact... undeniable. Editor: Precisely, it's a testament to the transformative power of material culture, and how our environments shape us. Curator: Makes you think about the world we build, doesn’t it? Editor: It certainly does.