Louis I Kahn

(1901 – 1974)

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 Introduction

• American Architect

• Firm – Ateleir

• Professor at Yale and Pennsylvania University.

• Influences – ancient ruins in Italy, Greece, Egypt, Scotland –style

monumental and monolithic heavy buildings – exhibit weight, material
and assembly

• Most Influential architect of 20th Century

• Initial works – international style

• Distinct style after 50 yrs

History of Modern Architecture -

Lecture P.Shabitha
 Architectural Style
• Simple platonic forms

• Monumental buildings that respond to human scale

• Poetry in light

• Materials – brick and concrete

• Texture reinforced by juxtaposing with highly refined surfaces

like marble

• Served spaces – main spaces

• Servant spaces – auxiliary spaces that serve other spaces like

corridor, stairwells, store rooms, closets, circulation, mechanical
services
History of Modern Architecture -
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Salk Institute for Biological Studies, California

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• Beautiful site campus
• 2 symmetrical buildings with a stream in the middle of the plaza
overlooking the pacific ocean
• No walls separate labs
• Each Building – 6 story including basement
• Total 35 labs and 35 utilities
• Each lab – 5 story study tower
• Total 29 structures
• Natural light – labs flooded with daylight
• Light wells – 40’ long and 25’ wide on both sides of building to bring
light to basement
• Concrete – volcanic ash (roman concrete) warm pinkish glow
• Concrete – water proof – raw finish
• Other materials – wood and marble
• Interstitial floors between habitable spaces for building system
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Kimbell Art Museum

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• One of his best works
• Outstanding building of the 20th century
• Cultural complex – with theatres, auditoriums, museums
• Campus has buildings also designed by Philip Johnson, Tadoa
Ando, Renzo Piano
• Kahn’s buildings – organized in 3 sections
• 6 rectangular vaulted structures located side by side on either
end with 4 in the middle
• Total 16 vaulted structures , 20’ height, each 100’ long and 20’ wide
• Setback in 4 vault – entrance court
• 3 more courts
• Striking feature – skylights run length of vault to diffuse evenly
spread light
• Lighting – changing effects with sun light

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National Parliament Building, Bangladesh

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• Represent Bangladeshi cultural and optimize space
• Exterior – simple huge walls, deeply recessed porticos
• Large regular geometric openings
• Main building at centre – 3 parts - Main plaza,South plaza,
Presidential plaza
• Artificial lake – 3 sides of main building
• Light
• Main block consist of 9 individual units – central octagonal block
(155’ height) - Eight peripheral – 110’ height
• 9 blocks – different functional spaces at different levels interlinked
horizontally and vertically
• Main plaza – includes parliament chamber , 2 podiums , 2 galleries
• Parabolic shell roof – daylight
• Upper levels – library, MP’s lounge, political party rooms
• South Plaza – gates, driveways, parking, service spaces
• Presidential plaza – made of marble
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 IIMA

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• Austerity and majesty
• Spaces for casual interaction
• Modernity and tradition
• Broad corridors
• Amphitheater like class rooms
• Brick construction
• Local climate responsive
• Kahn Plaza – surrounded by faculty wing, library
and classrooms

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