Publisher's Synopsis
Half a century after the HfG was founded this book takes the reader on a tour of the concept behind the Ulm School, its 15 years of life and its legacy. The past is recalled through contemporary interviews with people who experienced the HfG for themselves, or taken from the School′s own archives. The authors cover the School′s protagonists, together with their departments and formal systems, the buildings and interior equipment, as well as the working forms and lifestyle at the HfG.
The look at the past also follows the long path taken by German design, starting with the Bauhaus, before emigrating to the USA and eventually returning to its roots. The authors illustrate the role the School continues to play by pointing out everyday products designed by HfG teachers and alumni, e.g the Lufthansa corporate design and the ICE train, to name but two examples. There is also a look at some visionary projects that the School never realized.
On the theoretical level, the book begins and concludes with a discussion of international modernism in philosophy and design, culminating in the question of its future, especially in terms of architecture and our environment.
A comprehensive and critical documentary with numerous important insights for the future.
