Who Is Louis Kahn? A Peek Into The World Famous Brutalist Architect

Louis I. Kahn, an eminent modern architect during the post-World War II era, has created several architectural marvels across the globe. The Philadelphia-based architect gained popularity through his monumental works that followed a brutalist design language. Emphasising the rawness of materials and construction techniques defined his signature style.

A few of the best projects that portray his style of architecture are The Salk Institute in California, and the Yale University Art Gallery. Louis Kahn’s architecture style was monumental, monolithic, and foreshadowed by Brutalist architecture. So he was counted among the Brutalist architects. He was an important figure in the profession, as the built environments he designed weren’t only bold and practical, but could also help enhance the quality of life for users. An artist, teacher, and philosopher of architecture, let’s learn more about him and his strong beliefs in architecture that earned him success.

Louis Kahn Education and Upbringing

Louis Isadore Kahn belonged to Estonia, a part of the Russian Empire, but his family moved to the United States during his childhood. He earned a Bachelor’s in Architecture in 1924 from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. After graduating, he explored Europe, which also helped him gain in-depth knowledge and sketching experience for architectural structures.

During the years 1942-1944, he worked with Howe and Oscar Stonorov. Later, in 1947, he joined Yale University as a professor. His fellowship at the American Academy in Rome in 1950 changed his mindset and design approach. He appreciated the Mediterranean style even more after his fellowship, and after that came his first and one of the most wonderful projects built by him: The Yale University Art Gallery.

Designs that had a Soul to them

The works of Louis Kahn had a strong influence on the realm of architecture not only during his reign but that impact and inspiration is evident even in today’s designs. Adding a tinge of rawness to design and hinting at the solid forms of Brutalist architecture came from Tadao Ando’s works, which had poetry running through his structures.

He blended basic construction materials like brick, steel, concrete, glass etc. with technical innovations in an extraordinary way. His working and strategic design methodologies aided in achieving perfection in his designs and offering ideal solutions. Kahn’s distinctive style appeared in his early 50s, and he became renowned as one of the modernist architects. His observations of castles and historic sites imparted depth to the structures he made.

He had a special inclination towards adding brick to his projects. The confluence of bricks and concrete composed monumental spaces that catered to the human scale. One could notice modern design concepts embedded within the medieval roots through the use of materials and form. Collaboration with engineers and consultants in his works helped attain highly technical structures with precision in their details.

He zoned the spaces on the basis of served and servant spaces in his designs. Servant spaces were composed of movement and service zones and were separated from the served zones. This offered a poetic and seamless flow of spaces in the structures. Though his works don’t have a sleek or soft appeal, they speak a language that’s perfect with their proportions and add soul to the structure.

5 Marvelous Creations

Now that we’ve learned about Louis Kahn’s design style and concepts, let’s look at the examples of Louis Kahn buildings that reflect the same.

01. The Salk Institute, California

The Salk Institute by Louis Kahn in California follows the Brutalist design language with a mix of materials composing spaces. The material palette of the structure comprises travertine, wood, and concrete, each of which reflects the complexity of the design. This intelligent adoption of materials hinted at the significance of structure and scientific research.

The campus had three zones: one contained meeting spaces, the other was a residential zone, and the third part of this zoning consisted of laboratories. A creative blend of natural landscape with geometrical principles and form exudes a spiritual essence in the spaces.

The architect called the institute as a “Modern Monastery,” as the intention was to express the experimental nature of the context. The main structures composing the site are symmetrical in nature and free from extra embellishments on their facades. The most beautiful element in the design is a sleek stream in the middle of the two structures, leading towards the ocean.

02. Phillips Exeter Academy Library and Dining Hall, New Hampshire

Philips Exeter Academy Library has a unique approach to design with its monumental interiors. As one steps inside the building, one can notice a bold and heavy concrete form composing an impressive and influential space. A huge circle carved in the interior also helps reveal the levels of the building.

The structure has three layers. The outer one was composed of bricks. Then comes the book area built in reinforced concrete, Soulful Designs by Louis Kahn and an empty inner atrium balances it. Interiors serve as an element of surprise and drama with their geometries, while the facade of the structure has a sublime look. Kahn’s structures are called temples, and this is one of the finest examples portraying the same as it welcomes students into a holistic zone to learn.

03. Fisher House, Pennsylvania

The Fisher House is another fine example of Louis Kahn’s work. Started in 1960, the project was completed in seven years. The design of Fisher House by Louis Kahn was based on the concept of simplicity. The two cubes serve as the zones of the house. While one serves as a common area, the other forms the private zone of the house. These touch each other at an extraordinary angle.

The facade of this structure looks breathable with its glass surface. There’s a disposition in the windows that lead to a composition of abstract geometry in its exteriors. The design gives importance to space and light. The living room opens up to a calming view of the river in the North, while small openings on the North-East and South-East zones of the facade add a soft glare to the interiors.

04. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

According to Louis Kahn’s design principles, there’s a story hidden in every wall. And this statement is proved right in the design of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad by Louis Kahn. The institutional design is one of the most famous projects, composed of soothing exposed brickwork and concrete.

There’s a juxtaposition of styles in this design, with modern architecture enhanced by medieval design elements. The 60-acre site emerged grander and bolder, with the solid structures sitting on the campus. The Louis Kahn brick building wall has a unique look to it, and the overall rustic essence exuded by the structure marks one of the most aesthetic elements in the design. The mood board comprises local materials that offer an Indian touch to the design and portray the beauty of vernacular craftsmanship.

05. Kimbell Art Museum, Texas

The exterior of the Kimbell Art Museum by Louis Kahn is admirably simple, with a neat composition of barrel vaults. What makes this an exemplary project is its interior design. The brief for this art museum was to make the space as significant as the works it was going to house. Louis Kahn approached the structure in such a manner that it had 16 vaults, each 100 feet in length and 20 feet tall, to add grandeur to its scale.

A strategic geometric composition of these vaults offered different zones in the design. The open vault in the front acted as a portico, while interior spaces had a play of light and shadow with skylights. This smart design detail of the structure offers lighting to highlight the artwork, and this art museum offers a one-of-a-kind experience with its beautiful design.

Accomplishments earned by Louis I Kahn

Louis Kahn’s expression through his designs earned him global popularity, and his works spoke for his design sensibilities. He was elected to the designation of Fellow in the American Institute of Architects in 1953. He was nominated as one of the members of the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1964. There are several awards extended to him for his great work in design, a few of which are the AIA Gold Medal, Frank P. Brown Medal, and the Royal Gold Medal by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

His concepts in design left a deep impression. One can see his understanding of design and mystic life in his documentary ‘My Architect,’ filmed by his son to reveal about this life and thoughts.

Know them Better: 5 Facts You Didn’t Know

01. The Role of Light in His Works

Light and shadow were another guiding element in Louis Kahn’s designs, where indoors received natural light and structures made the shadows dance.

02. The Distinction between Served and Servant Spaces

The strong concept of distinguishing the served and servant spaces defined the areas of a structure. The servant spaces were a name given to extra zones like services and staircases that supported the main areas of the site.

03. His Love for Bricks

Each project by Louis Kahn had a place for bricks in the design. His love for bricks was obvious in the grand designs, where, along with concrete, these masses served human scale. This approach and minute detailing in the works reflected the juxtaposition of different styles.

04. Works are Profound, like Rothko’s Paintings

One cannot consider the sturdy brutalist structures as something easy to perceive. His designs had a poetry within their massiveness, and the designs had depth to them like Rothko’s paintings.

5. The Obsession with Designs put Him in Debt

Louis Kahn got deeply involved with each of his projects. His intricacy in work and diving into the design zone often led to incomplete projects as the proposals provoked the clients. The ideas could not proceed. This put the designer in debt during his last stages.

A Personalized Legacy that Stays

Heavy textures, strong forms, and a seamless flow of spaces are what defined Louis Kahn’s design approach. Though his personal life was a bit mystic, his structures had a loud statement to make with their material palette and geometric forms. Kahn redefined the notion of brick as more than just a basic building material, and this approach is what makes most of his structures timeless. There’s a great deal of magic within the simple designs he has constructed that serve as a guiding point for most of the new-age architects.

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Author Bio

Saili Sawantt – She is an Architect and Interior Designer by profession. Writing is what she treats as her passion. She has worked as an Architectural Writer, Editor, and Journalist for various design as well as digital portals, both national and international. Formerly she has also worked with Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) Design Studio, Mumbai, due to her keen interested in learning about Sustainability and Green buildings. Apart from this, she runs her blog ‘The Reader’s Express’ and is a practicing Architect & Interior Designer.