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Cycloids_in_Louis_I_Kahn_s_kimbell_art_m
Cycloids_in_Louis_I_Kahn_s_kimbell_art_m
Kahn's
Kimbell Art
Museum at
Fort Worth,
Texas
JIN-HO PARK, YONGSUN Joo,
AND JAE-GUEN YANG
Does y o u r h o m e t o w n h a v e a n y
m a t h e m a t i c a l tourist attractions such
as statues, plaques, graves, the cafd
w h e r e the f a m o u s conjecture w a s
made, the desk w h e r e the f a m o u s
initials are scratched, birthplaces,
houses, or m e m o r i a l s ? H a v e y o u
e n c o u n t e r e d a m a t h e m a t i c a l sight on
y o u r travels? I f so, w e invite y o u to
s u b m i t a n essay to this column. Be
sure to include a picture, a
description o f its m a t h e m a t i c a l
significance, a n d either a m a p or
directions so t h a t others m a y f o l l o w
in y o u r tracks.
(3 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc., Volume 29, Number 2, 2007 4.3
The Cycloid Choice
The m o s t distinctive d e s i g n e l e m e n t
o f the m u s e u m is the series o f s i x t e e n
parallel c y c l o i d vaults. K a h n d i d not
arrive at the c y c l o i d r o o f at the b e g i n -
ning of the d e s i g n p r o c e s s ; it w a s
d e t e r m i n e d after a series o f trials in
c o l l a b o r a t i o n with K o m e n d a n t a n d
Marshall D. Meyers, project m a n a g e r
for the m u s e u m :
Kahn's p r e s e n t a t i o n in J u n e h a d pro-
p o s e d a s e m i c i r c u l a r ceiling, w h i c h
B r o w n h a d f o u n d ostentatious a n d
thus, d i c t a t e d b y its g e o m e t r y , too
high. Kahn's r e s p o n s e in S e p t e m b e r
had b e e n a flattened arch, w h i c h
met B r o w n ' s r e q u i r e m e n t s but was
not particularly graceful. Meyers had
e x p l o r e d the possibilities of a flat
r o o f with q u a r t e r - r o u n d edges, el-
lipses, a n d s e g m e n t e d circles, n o n e
of w h i c h p r o v e d u p to the task."
[Leslie, 2005]
Rather than using the equations of a cy-
cloid, tile design was m a d e using a sim-
ple drawing of the curve generated by a
point on a rolling circle, as s h o w n in Fig-
ure 6. The rhythmic sequential cycloid
structure is easily recognized from a dis-
tance. Each vault consists of 100 • 23
foot shells p o u r e d in place by post-ten-
sioning cables and reinforced concrete,
and sheathed by a calcium-lead layer.
Figure 3. Site plan of the Kimbell Art Museum. The roofs are a b o u t six feet apart, sepa-
rated b y flat-roofed channels for air con-
ditioning a n d electrical distribution ducts.
character. At the s a m e time, e a c h vault a n d w o r k p l a c e s for s h i p p i n g and re- The height of a vault from the u p p e r level
is a n i n s e p a r a b l e e l e m e n t o f the w h o l e , ceiving (Figure 4). The three courts are is 20 feet a n d the height from the lower
m a k i n g the o r d e r in the c o m p o s i t i o n all o p e n to the sky a n d allow natural level is 40 feet. Each concrete cycloid
clear: the Kahn a p p r o a c h . light into the m u s e u m . The largest vault is s u p p o r t e d b y four 2 X 2 foot
These structural elements are square court on the n o r t h e r n side bor- corner concrete piers, thus providing
g r o u p e d on a tripartite s c h e m e , w i t h ders the cafd, while two smaller square column-free spaces (Figures 7 and 8).
northern, central, a n d s o u t h e r n parts. courts are located on the south (Figure
W h e r e a s e a c h of the north a n d the 5): o n e is t w o stories high so that the Seeing Cycloid Light
s o u t h parts has six vaults, the central light p e n e t r a t e s to the floor below-, to Each vault has a longitudinal 2 1 / S o o t
part b e t w e e n t h e m has four vaults. The the conservator's studio. Kahn p r o v i d e s n a r r o w slit at the roof, o v e r the entire
p e r m a n e n t collection, an auditorium, a an a c c o u n t of his intent for having sep- length o f the structure, c o v e r e d by
cafe a n d the galleries o c c u p y the north- arate g a r d e n s and n a m i n g each court acrylic Plexiglas. Perforated metal re-
e r n part. The central part, with o n l y four separately [Latour 1991]: flectors are installed u n d e r the light slit
vaults, p r o v i d e s an e n t r a n c e court in A d d e d to the sky light from the slit of the c y c l o i d vault. Kahn's series of
w h i c h e v e n the trees are a r r a n g e d in an o v e r the exhibit rooms, I cut across sketches s h o w an evolution, in which
o r d e r l y fashion. It i n c l u d e s the m a i n en- the vaults, at a right angle, a coun- he e x p e r i m e n t e d with various relation-
t r a n c e hall, the lobby, a b o o k s t o r e , the t e r p o i n t o f courts, o p e n to the sky, ships b e t w e e n r o o f s h a p e s and light re-
n m s e u m shop, a n d the library. T h e of calculated d i m e n s i o n s a n d char- flectors (see Figure 9). The cycloid
s o u t h e r n part h o l d s galleries for tem- acter, m a r k i n g t h e m G r e e n Court, vaults a n d the lighting reflectors w e r e
p o r a r y exhibitions, the r e c e p t i o n hall, Y e l l o w Court, Blue Court, n a m e d for carefully d e s i g n e d to control the qual-
a n d a kitchen. All are a r r a n g e d a r o u n d the k i n d of light that I anticipate ity a n d intensity of daylight in the mu-
a large o p e n b l o c k d e d i c a t e d to staff fa- their proportions, their foliation, or seum. K a h n writes ]Johnson, 1975]:
cilities including offices, shops, storage, their sky reflections on surfaces, or The s c h e m e of e n c l o s u r e of the mu-
c o n s e r v a t i o n a n d p h o t o g r a p h y studios, o n w a t e r will give. s e u m is a s u c c e s s i o n of cycloid
44 THE MATHEMATICALINTELLIGENCER
the light, sufficiently so that the in-
jurious effects of the light are con-
trolled to w h a t e v e r d e g r e e of c o n -
trol is n o w possible. [Johnson 1975].
10 11 12
Unusual Computational
4 6 2
Complications
The key to the m u s e u m d e s i g n is the
structural n o v e l t y of the cycloid roof,
3
U~
,A.
ENT
1 with a s p a n of 100 ft, s u p p o r t e d b y four
corner columns. The m o n o l i t h i c struc-
ture is only four inches thick, so thin it
l o o k e d "fragile," e v e n to K a h n himself.
The roof, with its l o n g i t u d i n a l 21/2 foot
n a r r o w slit at the apex of each vault, is
braced by cross concrete struts every 10
feet, transferring the load a l o n g the
zQ vault, longitudinally a n d vertically, to
the l o w e r c o r n e r of the vault a n d to the
.......................................... q
four c o r n e r colunms. As s h o w n in Fig-
ure 11, the forces of the l o n g i t u d i n a l
load are a b s o r b e d in two ways by three
1 UJL~ post-tensioning cables, a t e c h n i q u e com-
m o n l y e m p l o y e d to i m p r o v e the load-
b e a r i n g properties of concrete b y in-
corporating high-tensile steel stretched
16 13 cables into the structure. T h e di-
a p h r a g m s at the e n d a b s o r b the forces
Jl of the vertical load.
Traditionally, a barrel roof c a n b e
s u p p o r t e d along the longitudinal edges
or o n the curved ends. W h e n a barrel
is s u p p o r t e d along the l o n g i t u d i n a l
edges, it b e h a v e s like a row of arches,
Figure 4. Galle W level (top) and lower level floor plan (bottom) of the m u s e u m (re- o n e next to the other, d e v e l o p i n g hori-
drawn by the authors). [Key: 1. portico, 2. entrance hall, 3. gallery, 4. kitchen, 5. con- zontal forces p u s h i n g o u t w a r d a n d ab-
servator's court, 6. north court, 7. fountain court. 8. gallery, 9. two-storied conserva- sorbed by buttress walls. W h e n a barrel
tor's studio, 10. snack bar, 11. bookshop. 12. shop, 13. offices and laboratories, 14. vault is s u p p o r t e d o n its curved ends, it
east entrance, 15. mechanical room, 16. shipping and receiving] b e h a v e s like a b e a m c o n v e y i n g the load
to the walls at the e n d a n d to the g r o u n d
(Salvadori, 1980) 9 However, in the Kim-
bell Art M u s e u m design, the structure
of the roof is p u s h e d b e y o n d the con-
vauhs each of a single s p a n [100] tee{ edge that natural light distracts the v e n t i o n a l k n o w l e d g e of typical vault
long a n d [23] feet wide, each form- visual e x p e r i e n c e of viewers in a mu- structures. K a h n ' s design e m p l o y s a n
ing the r o o m s with a n a r r o w slit to seum, but Kahn s u c c e e d e d in using u n c o n v e n t i o n a l mixture of t e c h n i q u e s
the sky, with a m i r r o r e d s h a p e to natural light as the m a i n source for using those complicated p o s t - t e n s i o n -
spread natural light o n the side of lighting the m u s e u m galleries. Natural ing cables a n d diaphragms. It s e e m s
the vault. This light will give a glow light penetrates t h r o u g h the slit in the K o m e n d a n t ' s c o n t r i b u t i o n to the cy-
of silver to the r o o m w i t h o u t touch- vault a n d reflects off the mirrored shape cloid structure for the m u s e u m was es-
ing the objects directly, yet give the of the convex perforated metal reflec- sential ( K o m e n d a n t , 1975; Leslie, 2005).
comforting feeling of k n o w i n g the tors back to the side of the interior vault Mathematicians have long admired
time of day. and then diffuses to the exhibition the distinctive properties of the cycloid,
The natural light was a n integral part room, as s h o w n in Figure 10. Kahn de- a n d more generally of the cycloid fam-
of the program for the m u s e u m design scribes 'the l u m i n o s i t y of solver' of the ily, including epicycloids, hypocycloids,
from the b e g i n n i n g [Loud 1987]. The perforated metal reflectors with cycloid epitrochoids, hypotrochoids, or car-
Kimbell's first director, Richard Brown, vaults as follows: dioids. The length of o n e arch of a cy-
was especially c o n c e r n e d that "natural 9 . . rather a n e w w a y of calling cloid is ~r times the diameter of the
light should play a vital part in illumi- something; it is rather a n e w w o r d rolling circle, while the area u n d e r the
nation." It m a y be c o n v e n t i o n a l k n o w l - entirely. It is actually a modifier of arch is three times the area of the circle.
9 2007 Springer Science ~Business Media, inc., Volume 29, Number 2, 2007
Figure 5. Fountain court with garden water fountain (see Figure 4).
46 THE MATHEMATICALINTELLIGENCER
Figure 7. Section and elevation of the museum (left) and a joint where roof and corner column meet (right).
Figure 8. Detailed photo showing the roof structure of the m u s e u m (left), and
porticos with a side access path and reflecting pool (right).
Figure 9. A series of Kahn's preliminary sketches for the roof, made in 1967, and how the light should infiltrate (Redrawn
by the author).
Figure I0. A gallery, showing the transparent ceiling reflector (left), and a cafe and
gallery areas, showing the north garden court with Maillol's "L'Air" (right).
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
A"1 We thank Kazi Ashiraf for allowing the
. 9 .. 9 . ..
~. :..,....:....:....:,'..!,:.......:..:'.........-.....:~ use of his Kimbell M u s e u m photographs
in this article. This work was supported
:":; :i :: :i: ::i :; ~i:i:ij~!,':: : by an Inha University research grant.
l : : ~ ; : : : . " ~ : :J.-: !- ":~: ~. : :-,7.-~:~;.:~: -:",:".' . [ . :. ::
REFERENCES
The Kimbell Art Museum website: http://www.
.... i+ I- tt --I --I - kimbellart.org/
I" .':"" " - ::" ... ...,:.: ." . , : . ' " 9 ..'...: ' .:.''. t.:. :'... .',~. . . ... Benedikt, Michael. 1991. Deconstructing The
i .~::. ".:...' :..~ .:.-.......:.. :.-: ..-. ...;. , 9 ....~ ..........-.: .. .. Kimbell. New York: Sites Books.
I : ' : " ..:..'-'. .": :' . ,': . . - , . " . . ' : , . ' : - ' , ' : . . . ' . . ' . , ~ " . , '..':. .".'-.' ' -
I-.':.. "..:... ~ . " - :..:'. : . " . : . ~.'" :~. "..::. :.".::'." "..7.. . "
Brownlee, David B., and De Long, David G.
~,!:::,71!-i:":'i:!i :i/:'::'!:':i:"i :):i, :.,'[ i 1991. Louis I. Kahn: In the Realm of Archi-
tecture. New York: Rizzoli International Pub-
b -2' -}' L/2 = 50' lications.
A'J B'-I Buttiker, Urs. 1994. Louis I. Kahn: Light and
Space. New York: Whitney Library of Design.
Gast, Klaus-Peter. 1998. Louis I. Kahn: The
Ideal Order. Basel, Switzerland: Birkh~user.
Johnson, Nell E. 1975. Light is the Theme:
Cables \ Louis I. Kahn and The Kimbell Art Museum.
Fort Worth: Kimbell Art Museum.
A-A' I B-B'
Leslie, Thomas. 2005. Louis I. Kahn: Building
F i g u r e I I. Structural details of the cycloid shell (after August Komendant), (a) Par- Art, Building Science. New York: George
tial side elevation of the cycloid roof, with post-tensioning cables; (b) Partial plan,
Braziller, Inc.
where post-tensioning cables are installed; (c) End of a roof with a glass separa-
Loud, Patricia Cummings. 1987. In Pursuit of
tion and walls (A-A'), and a cross-section (B-B').
Quality," The Kimbell Art Museum: An Illus-
trated History of the Art and Architecture.
Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX.
T h e cycloid shape of the Kimbell Art space form e m b o d y i n g a mathematical Ronner, Heinz, and Jhaverti, Sharad. 1987.
M u s e u m is p e r h a p s the most singular curve into a physical building. Kahn Louis I. Kahn: Complete Work 1935-1974.
e x a m p l e ever a p p l i e d in b u i l d i n g u s e d different types of arcs such as cir- Basel, Switzerland: Birkh~user.
design. The visitor feels the full effect cle, semi-circle, and circle sectors in Salvadori, Marie. 1980. Why Buildings Stand
of a quintessentially dignified cycloid other buildings, but he repeated his cyl- Up. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.