The Haus am Horn: The beginning of Bauhaus architecture

Over 100 years of modern building

How it all began

“What a boring little house, you see it in every other new-build area these days and it's really nothing special!” was one of the first comments I heard when the idea for the small, cubic detached house 2023 came up, inspired by the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus exhibition. “That's right. But the building was planned and built exactly 100 years ago,” was my response.

With this knowledge, the building suddenly appears in a completely different light and it becomes clear what a far-reaching influence the architecture of the early 1920s had and still has. But more on that later.

I first became aware of the building a few years ago during a visit to Weimar. I read about a “model house development on the Horn” that could be visited, but the weather was too good and I decided to go to the Goethe House and take a long walk in the park. On another walk around Lake Constance a good two years ago, I “stumbled” across a memorial plaque commemorating Georg Muche, the Bauhaus architect. He died in 1987 near Lindau, almost in the neighborhood, and my curiosity was piqued.

After some rough research and many cross-references in Bauhaus books by Taschen etc., I became aware of the book “Haus am Horn: Bauhaus-Architektur in Weimar”. In addition to the basic architectural ideas, building materials and innovations, the book also sheds light on social aspects that were taken into account in the design and implementation of the building. The more I read about the model house, the more the significance of the building became clear to me.

The history of the model

The “Haus am Horn” was planned for the first Bauhaus exhibition in Weimar in 1923 and built in just a few months. The design by Bauhaus master Georg Muche was revolutionary. The latest building materials and findings from research and teaching at the Weimar school were consistently used in its construction. It is the first and only architecture realized by the Bauhaus in Weimar. With the “Haus am Horn”, the various Bauhaus workshops demonstrated how they envisioned contemporary living. All rooms are arranged around the interior, central living space, which is supplied with daylight via a skylight. A special feature of the floor plan is the clear allocation of rooms according to their functions.

Instead of a large eat-in kitchen, for example, the kitchen was intended exclusively for preparing meals, with the dining room only for eating. The house had several smaller but clearly structured rooms, which were complemented by state-of-the-art technology, such as central heating in the basement and gas-powered instantaneous water heaters in the bathroom and kitchen. Modern household appliances such as a gas stove, vacuum cleaner and coffee machine were designed to make the housewife's work easier, giving her more time for intellectual activities. The lack of additional rooms for servants is therefore also consistent: the family of three to four was supposed to manage independently here.

The “Haus am Horn” show home thus reflects the perception of a changed social reality. It is therefore not surprising that the building was the subject of controversial debate among the press and critics at the opening of the exhibition. The architectural office of Walter Gropius, founder and first director of the Bauhaus, was responsible for the construction work. Marcel Breuer, a student at the Bauhaus in Weimar who was still largely unknown at the time, designed his first furniture for the interior, including a toilet table for the lady of the house - his journeyman's piece. Even after the turmoil of the 1930s and 1940s, the “Haus am Horn” remains polarizing to this day. For advocates of the Bauhaus and its design principles, its simplicity and functionality make it an elegant and timeless building that foresaw social developments and architectural solutions over 100 years ago: an icon of architecture that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

Licensed as an original Bauhaus model A

s I am a design fan and friend of Bauhaus architecture myself, I approached the Bauhaus Archive in Berlin with the idea of producing the model house as a model kit and was extremely surprised when I was met with open ears and a willingness to help with the development. I had actually feared that we might go under with our small project, but the opposite was the case. The Bauhaus Archiv e. V. supported us in developing and compiling the information and with plans, and the bauhaus archiv GmbH even granted us the coveted official “Original Bauhaus Model” license. The fact that we are allowed to apply the Bauhaus signet on the model kit according to the symbol designed by Oskar Schlemmer was a small dream come true for me personally.

The NOCH Laser-Cut kit is realized exactly on an architectural scale of 1:100 and is therefore also ideal for use in H0 scale. The kit is precisely laser-cut from cardboard. No unnecessary plastic is used in the packaging. Detailed building instructions and the appropriate special laser-cut glue are included.

The NOCH model kit is also available in the Bauhaus Shop Berlin.

Many thanks

The “Haus am Horn” model kit, which is a faithful reproduction of Georg Muche's design, is licensed by bauhaus-archiv GmbH Berlin. The Bauhaus Archiv e. V. provided extensive support and advice during its creation. We would like to express our sincere thanks to both organizations and representatives and are delighted to be able to offer you a small piece of architectural history on a scale of 1:100. Over 100 years of modern building!