VIRTUAL Lisbon Livable Cities

Abstract

Walter Gropius’ founding of the Bauhaus School has shaped, and defined, modern and postmodern architecture for going on a century now. Far less is known, however, about how much the Great War, in which he personally served, affected his evolution into the preeminent figure of contemporary urban design. This paper mines the origins of Gropius’ design and his later influence on equally notable architects such as Phillip Johnson, Mies van der Rohe, and Frank Gehry, all in a concerted effort to locate, and investigate, the intellectual design tributaries of a man who has left an indelible mark on the world of design; for better or worse.