FORM FOLLOW FUNCTION | BAUHAUS

The Flat roof, White plain facade, typology in building was so called the characteristic of Modern architecture and industrial design. Bauhaus which founded by Walter Gropius held a group of avant-garde in Architecture in the industrial age, the period After World War I . They simply came up with an new idea of ‘Starting from zero’ and open as a school to teach this idea publicizing. This majority of famous Bauhaus had become many famous architects and artists which impact today age of Post-modernity.

Once the Bauhaus created new theory, the definition of “Form follow function” born too.It is a principle that the shape of a building or object should primarily based upon its function or purpose. The way design professions approach this, was to appreciate the geometric forms and to limit one design into unity, sameness, and an absence of ornamental (Ornament was criminal : Adolf Loos) only focus on functional use. However ornamental can be functional, if it is for the scale objects, landmark of the building or to attract people. Therefore, the artist said this clearly was Louis Sullivan, he actually said ‘form ever follows function’ but the simpler one usually remembered. For him, this was distill wisdom, the single rule that shall permit of no exception. Thus:

It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic,

Of all things physical and metaphysical,

Of all things human and all things super-human,

Of all true manifestations of the head,

Of the heart, of the soul,

That the life is recognizable in its expression,

That form ever follows function. This is the law.

Seen from his developed shape of the tall steel skyscraper in late 19th century Chicago at the moment when technology and everything made it necessary to drop the established styles of the past. The building was not going to be chosen out of the history book thus something had to determine form, for Sullivan it was being the purpose of the building. The ‘Form follows function, Which of opposed to ‘Form follows precedent.’

While being new originality, Adolf Loos meanwhile came up after this idea with the slogan “The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.” This might sound a bit out of scope however its relevant in a way that Loos try to leave out from the classic idea of form only follow function. As he said:

“A Change with regard to tradition is only permissible if the change means an improvement. And that is where the new inventions tear great gaps in tradition, in the traditional manner building. The new invention, the electric light ,the flat roof, do not belong to a particular part of a building, they belong to the whole world.”  
–Loos “Vernacular Art,” 111

Adolf Loos influenced much by Bauhaus and Mies van de Rohe where he created a house with the continuous space through out the house such as ‘The Moller House’ and the plan he called it “Raumplan” had became the master of house planning. While he built the exterior to look as simply as possible which consist of flat roof, terrace stick out of all facade, the interior he made was significantly detail-ness. It means that the simpler of the outside look the details of inside it is, one has to experience by really seeing and walking around the Moller house to experience the individualizes feeling he created for each room. For instance, the level of music room was lower than the bright dining room across, shared the same ceiling. The material are wood for both space and large mirror to get the sunlight in for the kitchen, each of his space is extremely give a difference experience.

     
 “It is my greatest pride that the interior which i have created are totally ineffective in photographs. I have to forgoe the honor of being published in the various architectural magazines. I have been thus deprived of the satisfaction of my vanity.” –Loos, “Architecture,” 106