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When we began working on the new identity of the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation we decided to search for a solution that would relate more to the original ideas of Germany’s most influential Modernist school instead of relying on the visual clichés connected to Bauhaus - it seems almost impossible to use circle, square and triangle nowadays without it coming across as ironic or historicist. Apart from stationery, brochures, posters, tickets, website etc. the new identity also included the redesign of the signage of Gropius’ famous Bauhaus building. This factor making it even more important that a clear distinction could be made by visitors what was apart of the original structure and what new additions we had made.
We thought a generic design would work best in order to make this distinction. The new identity was created by using strict typography, a minimalist layout, standardised formats and no colour. Being the most generic and incidental typeface, Courier was selected as the new corporate font. To guarantee a unique identity we changed the capital “A” of Courier according to Herbert Bayer’s well-known logo on the front of the Bauhaus Dessau building. Additionally, the new Bauhaus Dessau logotype is always set vertically. The entire typographic system consists exclusively of common system fonts, an approach connected to the original Bauhaus ideology that demanded functionality and designs based on the potential of mass-production.
(via architectura)
