Routledge Research in Architecture

<p>As a formative exemplar of early architectural modernism, Bruno Taut’s seminal exhibition pavilion the <i>Glashaus</i> (literally translated Glasshouse) is logically part of the important debate of rethinking the origins of modernism. However, the historical record of Bruno Taut’s<i> Glashaus</i> has been primarily established by one art historian and critic. As a result the historical record of the <i>Glashaus</i> is significantly skewed toward a singlular notion of Expressionism and surprisingly excludes Taut’s diverse motives for the design of the building. </p><p>In an effort to clarify the problematic historical record of the <i>Glashaus</i>, this book exposes Bruno Taut’s motives and inspirations for its design. The result is that Taut’s motives can be found in yet unacknowledged precedents like the botanical inspiration of the <i>Victoria regia</i> lily; the commercial interests of Frederick Keppler as the Director of the <i>Deutche Luxfer Prismen Syndikat</i>; and imitation that derived openly from the Gothic. The outcome is a substantial contribution to the re-evaluation of the generally accepted histories of the modern movement in architecture. </p>