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Kimbell Art Museum Case Study 2nd Year Undergraduate - Spring 2012
The Kimbell Art Museum, located in Fort Worth, Texas, was designed by Louis Kahn in 1967. The building is comprised of long vaults made of concrete, a signature material in many of Kahn’s projects. The museum is a permanent display for works of art, and therefore must be lit accordingly. To allow natural light into the building, Kahn designed the ceilings to take the form of a cycloid, or the curve made by following a point on a rolling circle. He also designed a light fixture to reflect and diffuse the light entering the building so that the artwork displayed would not be damaged. This case study is a study of the structure and light fixtures and how they are used together to light the museum.
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Will Rogers Road West
Arch Adams Street
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Site Plan
West Lancaster Avenue
8’
32’
64’ N
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Entry Level Plan
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1. Building Section A - Natural Light Diagram 2. Light Fixture Detail 3. Wall Section B
In the light fixture detail, natural light is shown entering the building through the strand of skylights. The light then reflects off of pieces of aluminum, directing the light into the cycloidal vaults. This light then reflects back down through a perforated film in the fixture to give the perfect amount of light to the artwork displayed.
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