Form and Function
By
July 23, 2009
German architect Walter Gropius once said, “Our guiding principle was that design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair, but simply an integral part of the stuff of life, necessary for everyone in a civilized society.” So he surely would have appreciated the fact that his namesake bag can be gracefully doubled or tripled in size by opening the side zippers, transforming it into the only bag that a practical person might need. Designed by Berlin-based Daniela Biesenbach and Carl Tillessen, Firma Berlin’s “Gropius Bag” is a simple, functional, understated leather unisex carryall. Granted, it’s made entirely from subtle but robust herbal tanned horse leather, and its hand-polished Swiss-made zippers and Riri metal closures reveal a true luxury lineage. But these attributes only heighten its use-value, which is why it is a fitting tribute to Walter Gropius on the 90th anniversary of the founding of his Baushaus movement.
The Gropius Bag will be sold alongside Alvar Aalto and Wagenfeld-Leuchte design items at the “Modell Bauhaus,” the world’s most cohesive Baushaus retrospective at the Martin Gropius museum in Berlin. With this, you can take lesser objects home.
Available at the Martin Gropius Museum, Mulackstrasse 1, Berlin.
