Bauhaus design immediately brings to mind steel, neutral colours and glass. However, Albers created furniture that was a colourful representation of his painted artwork. His deft mastery of colour and geometry within these nesting tables illustrates his multi-dimensional work. Crafted from acrylic-layered glass and solid oak he creates a brilliant exhibition of the Bauhaus colours: red, yellow and blue. A beautiful embodiment of the form of geometry.

A modernist genius, Mies van der Rohe, dominated the worlds of architecture and furniture design. The Barcelona Chair (pictured above), elevated the design of Roman folding stools into a modern throne suitable for the Spanish royal family. The frame is made from a single piece of steel,and is still one of the most well-known chair designs on the planet – and that’s one reason why Mies was named head of the Bauhaus in 1930.

This platform bench may look like something from the most recent IKEA catalogue – but that's precisely why it was so pivotal in the course of design culture. Designed in 1946, its clean and 'honest' design was a shockingly new method of creation. It's no frills style, lack of ornamentation and pure functionality is reflected in much of the popular furniture of today.

Husband-and- wife design team Charles and Ray Eames create their infamous lounge chair with one purpose: comfort. This instantly recognisable design still looks as fresh as the day the pair first released it. The designers said they wanted it to have a ‘warm receptive look of a first-baseman's mitt'.

Dieter Rams' concept for the 606 Universal Shelving System puts its functionality as the focal point. Rams' stated 'a bookcase should be neutral; its life comes from the books it contains'. There are now cheap imitations to be found everywhere, and that is a testament to the design of its modular flexibility.

The Arco floor lamp is a beautiful demonstration of form and function meeting in an aesthetically masterful way. The overhead light was created to get rid of the hassle of wiring it into the ceiling. Reported to be inspired by street lighting, it has becoming a much-imitated piece, changing the landscape of lighting design forever.