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EESTI ELU reedel, 8. aprillil 2022 — Friday, April 8, 2022
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Louis Kahn’s most captivating buildings Vincent Teetsov When Itze-Leib Schmuilow sky was born on the island of Saaremaa in 1901, a future as one of the 20th century’s most famous architects would have seemed far off. As told by the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, his family didn’t have enough money for drawing implements, opting to give him “burnt twigs and matches” to develop his artis tic abilities. Soon, they emigrated to the United States, and his name was changed to Louis Kahn. It was in the U.S. that his formal training began. Kahn studied at the University of Pennsylvania and gained experience working with the likes of Paul Philippe Cret, on early projects that include the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C. However, it was later, in his 50s, that travel to ruins in Egypt, Greece, and Italy catalyzed his individual style. It’s a style that’s frequently described as “monumental,” and is asso ciated with Brutalism. As i lluminated by Aesthetica Magazine, Kahn’s philosophy on “monumentalism” was based on “a spiritual quality inherent in a structure which conveys the feeling of its eternity, that it cannot be added to or changed.” Pondering ways that a structure could engender a sense of security or continuity, here are three of Louis Kahn’s most captivating buildings. 1) Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (National Parliament House) in Dhaka, Bangladesh: At first, the National Parliament House appears to be a castle with a protective moat. Really, though, it’s the nucleus of Bangladesh’s legislature, surrounded by a wing-like artificial lake. Constructed over 21 years, from 1961 to 1982, the parliament complex is an arrangement of eight connected sections that surround a main chamber in the middle. This middle part – a “served space” as Kahn categorized spaces for habitation – seats just over 350 people and stands taller than the rest of the complex, becoming an intense focal point in the otherwise verdant surroundings. The parliament was constructed in concrete, with thin
Salk Institute.
slabs of marble in between. Encouraging the flow of air and giving a face to the building are many wide openings in the form of geometric shapes: triangles, segments of circles, and whole circles, for instance. Inside, these openings grace fully rake the walls with light. The huge circular shapes, in particular, are reminiscent of the Phillips Exeter Academy Library that Kahn completed in 1971. The Bangladesh War of Independence stopped construction for several months. Budget challenges could have compromised the entire project. Then there was the volatile professional relationship Kahn had with structural engineer August Komendant, a fellow EstonianAmerican, with whom Kahn collaborated on several other buildings. But the final result became something that people in Bangladesh have celebrated. A new parliament building became a statement for the new nation’s future. 2) The First Unitarian Church of Rochester, United States: In this church’s interior, we’re reminded of Frank Lloyd Wright and his design for the Unity Temple in Chicago, which was completed in 1908. Built over half a century later, Kahn created a less ornate spiritual hub than what Wright designed, but the square and rectangular silhouettes are somehow familiar. Enriching pockets of light cut into the corners of the sanctuary space. Welcoming tones of light wood accent the organ pipes up top and the doors and pulpit below. The organ and choir are suspended above at the back of the sanctuary, which is home to over 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregants. The sensation, then, is that sound and light are all around. On the exterior, alcoves around the church’s red brick perimeter showcase tall shadows. From here, it’s less clear what you will find inside. Kahn once said, “To make a column which grows out of the wall and which makes its own rhythm of no-light, light, no-light, light: that is the marvel of the artist.” In this structure, he arranged multiple variants of light and
Photo: lajolla.com
Update on EERO support for Ukrainian refugees in Estonia Estonia has received between 25,000 to 30,000 Ukrainian war refugees to date, 40% of whom are children. About 20,000 of these refugees have decided to stay in Estonia for the foreseeable future. These refugees need safe, long-term housing, help in adjusting to life in Estonia and much more. It is wonderful to see such overwhelming support for the EERO Ukrainian Refugee Fund from so many people and from the following organizations: • The Toronto Estonian Baptist Church • Ööbik, the Academic Societies’ Choir in Toronto • Northern Birch Credit Union (which waived banking fees for transfers to Estonia) Over 100,000 euros have been raised by EERO to date and delivered to the Estonian Refugee Council (Eesti pagu lasabi) which is helping Ukrainian refugees in the following 5 areas:
shadow, just as there are mul tiple perspectives to the spiri tual ideas we contemplate. 3) The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, United States: This building, finished in 1965, was a living tribute to the inventor of the polio vaccine, Jonas Salk. However, architecture critic Paul Goldberger notes that Salk “told Kahn that he wanted to build the sort of building he might bring Picasso to.” Maybe an imaginative building could galvanize further advances in biology and medicine. Thus, amid the rocky coastal terrain of southern California, Kahn planned out a location where concrete, teak, and limestone are swallowed up by the infinity of the Pacific Ocean. From the centre of the scene, the “River of Life” water feature runs out into the sunset, while nearby hang gliders and whales move by in the background. The side buildings are
• Financial aid for children’s education: provided to families with children – to enable them to start school – without cutting into their subsistence allowance • Mental health support: always part of their service and includes trauma therapy, is provided to both adult and child refugees, individually and in groups • Advice and counseling: via telephone and email, as well as in person, in Tallinn • Long-term housing: serving as intermediary for offers of housing to the war refugees • Support groups: Eesti pagulasabi developed information sessions on specific themes – work, children and school/daycare, adjustment, mental health and practical digital/e-skills (which they need in a digital society). These sessions are delivered across Estonia Funds from the EERO
like wooden drawers slotted into a concrete dresser. Standing there, you’ll feel as though nobody else is there. And when the sky is an un perturbed cerulean; when the light is touching at ideal morning and evening angles, we can hear the architect saying, “The sun never knew how great it was until it hit the side of a
Ukrainian Refugee Fund are currently directed primarily towards children and mental health support, which includes trauma therapy. Your donation is tax deductible, greatly appreciated and goes to use within days, thanks to modern tech nology and dedicated staff. None of the money donated to EERO or the EERO Ukrainian Refugee Fund is used for salaries, either in Canada or Estonia. We thank you for continuing to donate through our website www.EEROcanada.com, via e-transfer eerolaekur@gmail. com or by cheque: to EERO Ukrainian Refugees, 17 Tufton Crescent, Toronto, Ont. M4A 2E2 Donations by credit card or PayPal can be made on the EERO donation page at Canada Helps. These donations receive a tax receipt from Canada Helps, who transfers the do nations to the EERO Ukrainian Refugee Fund weekly. Link: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/ dn/70820 Stay tuned for more news shortly. EERO
building.” Kahn showed how much you could create with fewer “ingredients.” It’s similar to those burnt twigs he drew with as a child. In each of these examples, Louis Kahn has articulated those building materials into magnetic destinations that assist decision-making, learning, and meditation.
First Unitarian Church of Rochester.
Photo: rochesterunitarian.org
