A New Aesthetic for a New Bauhaus

In addition to its demand for a more sustainable architecture, the New European Bauhaus calls for the increased inclusivity of disadvantaged groups in both the architectural design process as well as in the outcome of this process. It also calls for an improvement of the aesthetic quality of the architectural experience. In response to the NEB call, this paper explores the possibility of the development of a new type of architectural aesthetic which takes its cue directly from the need to make architecture more inclusive. Starting with an examination of the term ‘aesthetic’ as it applies to the creation of an architectural work and building on the ideas of Peter Blundell Jones in relation to the expression of ritual in architectural form this paper suggests that, viewed through the lens of the concept of ritual, a deep examination of the programme may lead to architectural solutions which provide a more meaningful response to the rituals of everyday life. The paper further explores the possibility that as communities around the world become ever more diverse and as the interactions of these new communities lead to new forms of ritual, an architecturally sensitive response to these new rituals offers the possibility for a fresh approach to the idea of designing for inclusivity.