Vor dem Bauhaus: Osthaus by Laura Di Betta, Christin Ruppio, Barbara Welzel

With the “Hagen Impulse,” patron Karl Ernst Osthaus initiated groundbreaking contributions to the reform movements of the early 20th century. The manifold activities, especially the experiments and models of socially effective architecture also influenced the young Walter Gropius, who had a close friendship with Osthaus. Not all aspects of the impulse were continued in the later Bauhaus.

Before the Bauhaus: Osthaus deals with the cultural implementation of modern architecture by Karl Ernst Osthaus, especially his programmatic use of photographs. Osthaus used them to make his projects internationally known and at the same time aimed at a new perception of architecture.

The design quotes in format, layout and material various publications from the time of Karl Ernst Osthaus. It combines features from the first catalogues of the Folkwang Collection and the monograph by architect Henry van de Velde. The result is a contemporary design with clear historical references.

The typefaces used are as much a historical quotation as they are a contemporary interpretation. Behrens-Antiqua is a design by Peter Behrens, published in 1907 by the Gebrüder Klingspor type foundry, which was already used in the publications of Karl Ernst Osthaus. It is used in Dan X. Solo’s digital version, alongside FF Bau by Christian Schwartz, whose design follows a grotesk by Schelter & Giesecke, which was used significantly in the visual communication of the Bauhaus in the 1920s. Ludovic Balland’s Stanley is used for running text.