Beautiful identity system by Hort for the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation. I love the use of Courier and how stripped down the overall look is. Feels very technical. Hort intentionally avoided the visual elements that we think of when we hear Bauhaus. Hort explains:
…we decided to search for a solution that would relate more to the original ideas of Germany’s most influential Modernist school instead of relying on the visual clichés connected to Bauhaus — it seems almost impossible to use circle, square and triangle nowadays without it coming across as ironic or historicist.
My German’s lacking, but that’s a brilliant case study, Antonio. Great feature.
Love the custom ‘A’ of the Courier in the identity
but why arial?
Awesome project for an awesome studio,
but I’d like to ask Hort a question:
Was it really necessary to use Arial Black?
Why do you think they used it?
Why not Univers Black?
Just curious
Anyway, cheers from Mexico Antonio
I love this. The use of Arial doesn’t seem out of place at all.
What I like most about it is that it looks like something that would have been designed by the Bauhaus for the Bauhaus rather than something designed by a studio referencing the history of the Bauhaus.
Interesting feature. The vertical branding is a lovely subtle reference to the original signage, and that grey stock is (somewhat appropriately) reminiscent of archive stationary.
The Arial Black is ridiculous. There is absolutely no reason for them to use it instead of Helvetica, Univers or Akzidenz. It’s like an unnecessary smear of filth over the beautiful, minimal layout.
i mean, ok i understand their choice of trying to use fonts everyone has. but their new courier isn’t available to everyone…
Why Arial? Why? Seriously… Is there a reason?
As soon as I see the horrible sloping ascender of Arial’s lower case t, I lose all interest.
Mary
April 5, 2011 at 12:53 pm
but why arial?
The same question came to mind…
Arial!?
The use of Arial is brilliant. Yes, it’s an ugly typeface, but it makes sense here on multiple levels.
Funny al the bitching about the / a typeface???
I think fundamentally there’s something wrong with this identity. I understand the rational but think its very weak. Bauhaus has been on the forefront and influential for modernism as we now it. A focus on the future, away from conservatism is its key foundation. This identity could have been created in it’s heydays? How is this progressive and how does this represent cultural experimentation? Where is today or tomorrow for that matter…?
System default fonts.. doing away with contrasting type hierarchies altogether… Very much working under the Bauhaus work ethos. Get used to it, this is the future; flaunting ordered neutrality in a world dominated by photoshop filters, drop shadows and superfluous design doo-dads.
I like!
sir,
I’m a huge fan and avid follower of your blog. Just wanted to know, is this a hypothetical project?
No it’s a real project. Thanks for reading.
so is it like a museum or trust? And may i ask, if you can guess, why didn’t they re open bauhaus ever?
It’s a centre of research, teaching and experimental design.