Form and function - The Bauhaus design revolution
When the Public Works Department rebuilt the colonial-style Central Market in the Bauhaus style in 1938, it exemplified how international architectural trends were influencing design in the colony.
The Bauhaus School - which was started by German Walter Gropius in 1919 and lasted until the early 1930s - emphasised functionality. Ho Siu-kee, a senior lecturer at the Hong Kong Arts Centre's Arts School, attributed the birth and rise of Bauhaus to the scarcity of resources in Germany and in Europe in the aftermath of the first world war.
'After the war, society did not have resources for decorative arts. Everything had to be simple, and pragmatic.'
Bauhaus architecture was based on a correlation between design, industry and science.
Bernard Lim Wan-fung, president of Hong Kong Institute of Architects, said both the Central Market and the Wan Chai Market, which was also built in the 1930s, were good examples of this style.
Bauhaus buildings were noted for their attractive curvy features, he said. 'It was as ground-breaking as the bikini and miniskirt when it was first introduced.'
