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Louis Kahn is one of architecture’s most influential figures of the 20th century. The American passed away under sad circumstances in 1974, but his distinctive, monumental style and cultural impact across the globe have ensured Kahn’s perpetual presence in the minds of today’s foremost architects.
His love of raw materiality and the solidity of Brutalism is evoked by Tadao Ando’s poetic concrete forms, while Kahn’s unbuilt City Tower project influenced many advocates of the high-tech movement, including Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and Norman Foster. Meanwhile, many of Kahn’s former apprentices — from playful postmodernist Robert Venturi to the experimental Moshe Safdie — continue to push the boundaries of architectural design as their mentor did.
Here, we look back at some of the architect’s greatest highlights from an extraordinary career that continues to inspire the young architects today. In chronological order according to the date of each building’s completion, this is the lasting legacy of Louis Khan:
1952: City Tower Project, Philadelphia (Unbuilt); via Metalocus
© Ben Diep
1953: Yale University Art Gallery; via BLOUIN ARTINFO
1961: Margaret Esherick House, Philadelphia; via Philadelphia Magazine
1962: First Unitarian Church, Rochester, New York; via Wikimedia Commons
1963: Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California; viaSalk Institute for Biological Studies
1965: Richards Medical Research Laboratories, Philadelphia; via PLOT
1967: Fisher House, Hatboro, Pennsylvania; via Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Office
1972: Phillips Exeter Academy Library, Exeter, New Hampshire; via The Architecture Blog
1972: Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas; via the Kimbell Art Museum
1973: Hurva Synagogue, Jerusalem (Unbuilt); via Fancy (InscapesDesign)
1973: Korman House, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania; via Component
1974: Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India; via LifeDaily
1974: Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut; via GreatBuildings
1982: Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban (National Assembly Building), Dhaka, Bangladesh; via A Caixa Negra
2012: Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park, New York City; via Center for Architecture Foundatione
Architizer's new image-heavy daily newsletter, The Plug, is easy on the eyes, giving readers a quick jolt of inspiration to supercharge their days. Plug in to the latest design discussions by subscribing.
