Kahn, Louis (1901–1974)

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As a departure from the strict functionalism of modernism, Louis Kahn spoke in terms of the poetics of architecture. His passion showed not only in his buildings, but in his devotion to the dialogue of sketching.

Born in Estonia, Kahn immigrated with his family to the United States when he was very young. He studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, from the years 1920 to 1924. After graduation, he worked with John Molitor, the city architect; William H. Lee, architect; Paul P. Cret, architect; and the firm of Zantzinger, Borie, and Medary Architects in Philadelphia. Kahn began independent practice in 1935. His first high profile building came with the commission for the Art Gallery at Yale University (1951–1953). Other projects in his prolific career include: Richards Medical Research Building, University of Pennsylvania (1957–1964); Salk Institute Laboratory
Building, California (1959–1965); Sher-E-Banglanagar National Assembly, Dacca, Bangladesh (1962–1974); Kimball Art Museum, Texas (1966–1972); Library, Phillips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire (1967–1972); and the Center for British Art and Studies, Yale University (1969–1974).  critic in architecture at Yale for several years, he also taught at the University of Pennsylvania from 1957 to 1974 (Yoshida, 1983).

Kahn promoted a turn from functionally social architecture to the experience of architecture. This spiritual approach took a new look at materials and texture, and especially the effects of light. His massive walls articulated architectural space, and his juxtaposition of materials such as concrete, steel, and wood presented a strong sense of materiality in construction (Yoshida, 1983).

Marshall Meyers, a designer in the office, writes that Kahn’s early design process always started with notebook sketches (playing with the program) and progressed to analysis and critique to determine if the idea was viable. Kahn would rework and refine the project continuously through to construction drawings. He would sketch fervently as he described his ideas to his employees (Yoshida, 1983). In his lectures on drawing and sketching, he spoke about how one should not imitate exactly, but be critical about the conceived image and find significance in it. He spoke of his love of beginnings and enjoyment in learning (Latour, 1991).

Kahn’s sketches show a bold hand, as he often used charcoal or a soft pencil, altering, reworking, and emphasizing different aspects of the sketch. This sketch for the President’s Estate, the First Capital of Pakistan, displays his enthusiastic dialogue with his sketches. Done with charcoal and graphite on tracing paper, the plan shows large forms contrasted by a few delicate diagrams. It is likely that where he drew lines over and over on a circle, he was not attempting to achieve the perfect curve but to emphasize the power of the shape. The fluid and expressive strokes suggest a passion that involved his entire body. The large circles on this sketch necessitated a full sweep of his arm on
the relatively large sheet of paper, 30.5  61cm (approximately 12  24 in.). With this much charcoal it was doubtful he could have kept his hand or arms clean. He was intellectually, emotionally, and physically interacting with the sketch. Immersed in the making, he had rubbed out, crossed out, and drawn over many aspects in the sketch as if it spoke to him. This discourse, and his absorption with the visual media, suggests an intense concentration that engaged his whole being in the process.