Luxury and Modernism

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This beautifully illustrated work offers a fresh perspective on modern architecture and design in Germany during the peak of the Bauhaus and the Werkbund, highlighting modernism's enduring connection to luxury. Robin Schuldenfrei reexamines the contributions of iconic figures like Peter Behrens, Walter Gropius, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, uncovering the complexities and contradictions within modernism's promotion and consumption. The book illustrates how luxury manifested in both overt forms—such as extravagant materials and high-end technologies—and more subtle aspects like social contexts and lifestyles. While modernism was marketed as a blend of technology, innovative materials, and rational aesthetics aimed at improving everyday life, it often remained inaccessible to the very people it claimed to benefit. Schuldenfrei reveals the gap between modernism's utopian ideals and its luxurious objects and elite commissions. Despite its egalitarian claims, many modern designs catered to the desires of the affluent. The author argues that luxury was essential not only in the design, production, and marketing of modern buildings and objects but also in shaping modernism's lasting appeal. Featuring stunning color images, this book provides a new lens through which to view a pivotal era in architectural history.