Study
Gropius designed the study to accommodate the double desk that fits perfectly under the north-facing ribbon window. Designed by Marcel Breuer and made in the workshops at the Bauhaus of maple and walnut veneer, it was originally made for the director’s house in Dessau. Breuer designed the desk to the Gropiuses’ specifications so that they could work side by side. The desk illustrates the collaborative nature of the Gropiuses. Ise was very much Walter’s partner, actively advocating the philosophy of the Bauhaus, and helping Gropius with his work. In keeping with the collaborative philosophy of the Bauhaus, Gropius granted his twelve-year-old daughter’s request that she have a separate entry so that she could forgo formalities when bringing friends home, and installed the steel exterior stairway seen through the front window. The stairway leads to the roof deck and Ati’s room. Of course its location, directly outside the study window, allowed Mr. and Mrs. Gropius to keep an eye on all comings and goings. This room also illustrates Gropius’s use of flexible spaces. The study acts as a passageway into the living room. The angled glass block wall implies motion and invites the visitor to progress toward the living room.
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