Walter Gropius (1883–1969) sought to build for the future. As founder and director of the Bauhaus, the German architect had an irreplaceable influence on our aesthetic environment, promoting a bold new hybrid form of light, geometry, and industrial design that impresses today as much as it did a century ago.

This essential introduction to the architect examines his evolution and influence through 20 of his most important projects, from the Bauhaus building in Dessau, Germany, to the Chicago Tribune Tower and the Graduate Center of Harvard University, completed after Gropius's move to the United States in 1937.

His role is explored both as an architectural practitioner, and as a writer and educator, not only as a pioneer of the Bauhaus, but also, along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, as a leading advocate of the International Style. Along the way, we observe how many of Gropius's principles remain reference points for architects, designers, and urban planners today.

Whether in his emphasis on functional beauty or his interest in housing and urban planning, Gropius excites with the flexibility of his thinking as much as with the brilliant precision of his work.

Pages: 96, Year of Publication: 2017, Dimensions: 21x21cm