Bauhaus in Aspen
I’m still basking in the afterglow of a glittering weekend in Aspen, CO, where my husband and I attended seminars at the Aspen Institute’s Socrates Society.
I knew Aspen would be beautiful, but I had no idea the Aspen Meadows Resort, home to the Aspen Institute, was a near-perfect example of the Bauhaus movement.
Aspen Institute founder Walter Paepcke commissioned Herbert Bayer, a leading Bauhaus artist, to design the 40-acre campus in that architectural tradition.
The buildings were constructed between 1953 and 1973, and they were all positioned to take advantage of the surrounding mountain landscape. There’s a great article about the history of the buildings right here.
And besides the spectacular view from outside, the rooms continue the Bauhaus theme.
In addition to the buildings, Bayer designed a series of “earthwork” sculptures across the campus, connected by a small stream.
Look closely here to see the huge depression in the ground, with an additional small depression and a mound and boulder inside.
Beyond the housing buildings, there are more mounds and sculpture, which are brilliant in the morning sunshine.
After passing these “earthworks,” you follow a trail across a meadow to the seminar building, which seems to rise up from the sagebrush.
The riches of Aspen are also close by, as the hills surrounding this gorgeous campus reveal its grand homes.
Here’s a parting shot from Aspen’s namesake, taken on a hike through a forest of aspen trees.
