UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT

Louis Kahn was known not only as a successful architect, but as a strong philosophical figurehead of the modernism architecture movement. He described the art of architecture as more than just an ‘aesthetic’ procedure, but as a way to provide functional needs to society, and that a building could greatly impact, influence, and improve peoples personal lives ¹. Its important to consider Kahn’s own views on architecture when viewing his buildings, as his visually simple designs have a deeper conceptual complexity allowing us to further understand the intended relationship between each part of his buildings (in this context; allowing us to understand the relationship he creates between natural lighting and monochromatic materials).

Kahn further goes on to acknoweldge in an interview that he believes buildings go beyond practicalities, but should also serve humanistic needs and communities, wanting to evoke a sense of spiritality in the spaces he created¹. Statements such as these allow researches to understand Kahn’s emphasis on creating culturally significant buildings, and highlight the extensive thought Kahn considered behind each design he developed.