Bauhaus Dream-House—Modernity and Globalization

Review of the book 'Bauhaus Dream-House - Modernity and Globalization' by Katerina Rüedi Ray (Routledge, 2011). 228pp. Book examining the Bauhaus, taking into consideration the school's practices and legacy from the standpoint of critical social theory, and adding a new angle on gender and globalization to the broader framework. Divided into three parts, each consisting of two chapters: 'History and Theories'; 'Weimar Republic, 1919-33'; and 'Europe and Beyond, 1919-68'. Review notes that the book enriches Bauhaus literatures thanks to its effort to probe how the Bauhaus educational model has been transmitted and still influences design and architectural practices to the present day. Highlights that the book appeals to a very extensive readership, with its scope expanded from the political, social and cultural values of education and design to identity and gender issues, and globalization. Review states that this wide scope means that the volume occasionally loses its central focus, but contributes to the existing scholarship on the Bauhaus's pedagogy by engaging with theory and using unconventional tools to provide new interpretations of aspects that would have remained hidden if only analysed using traditional instruments of historical research. (Quotes from original text)