An Architectural Vision
American architect Louis Kahn is regarded as one of the great master builders of the Twentieth Century. The exhibition ‘Louis Kahn — The Power of Architecture’, is the first major retrospective of Kahn’s work in two decades.
The exhibition encompasses an unprecedented and diverse range of architectural models, original drawings, photographs and films. Six thematic areas illustrate the development of Kahn’s work over time along with a biographical introduction to Kahn:
– ‘City’ explores Kahn’s close connection with his home city, Philadelphia. Philadelphia became a kind of laboratory for the development of his own urban and architectural principles.
– Science: Heavily influenced by science, Kahn studied the structural laws inherent in nature and applied them to architecture. He created a new architectural vocabulary with geometric structures that corresponded to the forms identified in microbiological research.
– Landscape: Nature was not only a source of inspiration for Kahn, but it became increasingly important as a context for his buildings. Kahn’s work also considered the location of the buildings by taking local environmental conditions into account, such as the position of the sun and wind patterns.
– House: Kahn’s desire to create a stronger connection between architecture and the surrounding environment also formed the basis of his residential designs. Kahn regarded the ‘House’ as an archetype and starting point for his understanding of architecture and community.
– Eternal Present: Kahn’s architecture was closely linked to the timeless foundations of traditional building, yet radically innovative and future-oriented in terms of technology and construction.
– Community: The final section marks how essential the social significance of architecture was to Kahn.
‘Louis Kahn — The Power of Architecture’ is on display at the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany until Sunday 11 August 2013.
