Dessau, Germany, a two-hour train ride from Berlin, is where Walter Gropius built his Bauhaus in 1926. For the people of Dessau, the building that rose before their eyes was a singular thing with its glass walls, right angles and flat rooms. It is one of the most famous buildings in the history of 20th century architecture. On December 4, 1926, a steam train entered Dessau station, 1000 guests, some from far away, had made the trip for the inauguration of the Bauhaus – the building being located on the outskirts of the city – the guests first passed through a city rooted in centuries past.
On the evening of its inauguration, floodlights illuminated the façade, shining like a lighthouse the Bauhaus seemed to be a symbol of renewed hope and renewed vitality. eight years after the tragedy of the Great War, exhibitions, concerts and theatrical performances followed one another for two days, a former student writes
The huge building leaves a very special impression almost unforgettable at night when all its rooms are lit up is on the day of inauguration forming a visible cubes circumscribed by the metal frame of its outer shell
