Chapter 2 of 13
Architect's House, Lincoln, Massachusetts By Walter Gropius (With Marcel Breuer) 1938
WG: I think I am one of the pioneers, and I would mention for instance one building of my own - that has been the Bauhaus building which certainly at that time gave a new trend and some other buildings which were built before which didn't exist so far. So I think this whole problem should be approached... who has really touched first... new kind of approaches to these things. The lighter constructions, the open glass wall - these things which were done by some people first and have had a great influence on all the other people. Now the victory of the modern approach in architecture is sure. And when I think only of the last eighteen years I am in this country, how much it has improved, and increased in numbers in good modern buildings; so the new approach has really penetrated. But when we want to look at it historically, we have to find out who did what first. And there are of course some prominent people who have done a lot on that line, well I already before the first world war, I was in it and built a few buildings in 1910, 1914 and so on and then the Bauhaus building. Which has been, I don't say that myself only, but has been recognised by those who have historically built that up, that that was direction giving. And there are of course parallel cases, my teacher from whom I learned most was Peter Behrens; Peter Behrens was the architect of the AEG - that is the big electrical concern in Germany - and he has built some of the factory buildings there, and some office buildings, which really showed the new trend in daring constructions and in different use of materials - at least it was the beginning of this line. I have been his main assistance for many years, and so I learned from this personality most in my life. On the other hand, I learned from the practical man in the field, the foreman and so on of these men I have learned really something in building. I cannot separate building from designing, I think the architect should be well trained with all the technicalities, and know them. And this chapter which you approach here is also something which the architects really know by heart from its technical, specific qualities, in order to use it in a proper way. Now of course the field is so large today that one man cannot know all these things, but the main things he can absorb and then use specific material, and specific constructions, where they fit best. I am always a little bit wary when one branch of the industry wants to make things, discussions as we have them here, and they try then to put their material everywhere, everywhere. But I think the mixture of different things brings even their material better out.