LOUIS KAHN

Spatial Engagement

SANJEEVA RAO

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY May 2018

ABSTRACT Form and space are definitive architectural apertures in which form is defined as a definition of objects in space and vertical planes define a linear space coincident with an axis. Likewise spatial engagement is defined as the outcome of an adherence to spiritual satisfaction, connected with a localize culture, firmly linked with a place or a locality. The intrinsic values of humanizing architecture is to cultivate spiritual satisfaction and sense of belonging. This plateau seem to have been forsaken by the rapid urbanization of cities and towns by developers where, optimization, efficiency and low cost construction are the only values emphasized. Disengaging spaces is a problematic relationship between people and the current state of architecture. Modern mass produced buildings are disengaging rather than engaging, exploiting emotions rather than evoking experience. By studying the philosophies of Louis I. Khan, a revered architect in his formal and spatial explorations, this study aims to study the translation of architectural components into form and space narrating spatial engagement to better understand the importance of creating experiential space that engage users. A case study methodology is carried out via case studies, logical mapping and observation of Louis I. Khan’s design works. The significance of this study aims to understand the relationship and importance between formal and spatial approaches with creating spatial engagement and sense of belonging that may aid future civic and institutional designs to help foster supportive environment for architects, developers, designers, authorities, and academics.

Keywords : form and space ; collective unconscious ; singularity ; human agreement ; Louis I. Khan ; spatial engagement ; sense of belonging ; spiritual satisfaction

GLOSSARY Spiritual satisfaction can be defined with a few characteristic, the feeling of integration, unity, whole and organized. Feeling ego-less and fused with the world, and Feeling free of blocks, inhibitions, cautions, fears, doubts, controls, reservations and self-criticisms (Maslow, 1961)

Collective unconscious refers to the realm that transcends the individual unconscious and is made up of archetypes. These archetypes are patterns or forms modifying the eternal themes of human experience. (Lobell, 1979)

Singularity is the desire to express meets the possible (Kahn, 1973) Sense of belonging is the human need, just like the need for food and shelter. Feeling that you belong is most important in seeing value in life and in coping with intensely painful emotions. (psychology today)

Spatial engagement is the outcome of an adherence to critical values, connected with a localize culture, firmly linked with a place or a locality.. All this is connected with the belonging of individuals to these groups and ideas, linked with the space.(Ulrich Best, 2002). The term is the architect’s theoretical perception on spatial engaging designs.

Individuality is separate existence. (Arbhunot, 1992) Humanistic values is a rationalist outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters.

Human Agreement is a sense of rapport, of commonness, all bells ringing in unison – not needing to be understood by example but felt as an undeniable inner demand for a presence. It is an inspiration with the promise of the possible. (Kahn, 1973)

DECLARATION I have read and understood the regulation of Taylor’s University concerning plagiarism. I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which has been accepted for the award of any degree or diploma of the University or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text.

Signature :

Name : Sanjeeva Rao a/l Apparow Date : 23/05/2018 Student ID Number : 0330012

PREFACE This is an original dissertation by the author. Sanjeeva Rao, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree in Master of Architecture. It comprises of works and researches done from August 2017 to June 2018.

Ideas on spatial engagement is often reflected on reading materials subjectively, this paper focuses on an objective approach of spatial engagement by translating the philosophies of one particular architect who has extensively explored the idea of spatial engagement towards society - Louis Kahn. The paper traces the issue, the explorations and finally comes to a generalized conclusion to provide a more objective perspective towards the idea of engaging architecture to the human collective.

The paper is written by the author with reference pertaining to the topic. The content hopefully presents itself to be an aid for academicians, designers and architects alike in their designs to create an engaging built environment for the human collective

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to extend my utmost gratitude to those mentioned for being pivotal towards the success of the paper for their unwavering support and assistance throughout the period of writing this dissertation : - Dr. Sucharita Srirangam, for being my supervisor. Her patience in guiding and enthusiasm in supporting my topic was a huge encouragement for me to continuously improve my paper to the best of my abilities. Without her guidance this paper could not have been completed.

- Dr. Camelia Kusomo, Ar. Ian Ng Aik Soon, Ar. Zahari Zubir, and Dr. Veronica Ng Foong Peng for their role as my panel and for guiding me in the improvement of my dissertation. Their advice and constructive comments helped in fine tuning my paper.

- To my loved ones for continuously pushing me to do my best and being my pillar of strength throughout the production of the dissertation.

Thank you.

CONTENT Chapter 1 - Introduction 1.1 Background Study 1.1.1 Issue: Disengaging spaces 1.1.2 Late Modernism: Addressing spatial disengagement 1.1.3 Late Modernists: Choosing Louis Kahn 1.2 Problem Statement 1.3 Research Question 1.4 Aim 1.5 Objectives 1.6 Significance Chapter 2 - Methods and Methodology 2.1 Limitations and Expected Outcomes Chapter 3 - Case Studies: Exploring Louis I. Kahn’s Design Philosophies 3.1 Expressing Archetypes 3.2 Expressing Functions 3.3 Expressing Nature 3.4 Summary Chapter 4 - The components in Case Studies: Analyzing Kahn’s Philosophies on Spatial Engagement 4.1 Philosophy: Form and Design 4.1.1 Case Studies 4.1.2 Summary 4.2 Philosophy: Servant and Served 4.2.1 Case Studies 4.2.2 Summary 4.3 Philosophy: Silence and Light 4.3.1 Case Studies 4.3.2 Summary

Chapter 5 - Discussion: Synthesizing Kahn on Spatial Engagement 5.1 Overview 5.2 Relationship Between Philosophies 5.3 Synthesizing Philosophies To Spatial Narration 5.4 Relationship Between Generalized Spatial Narration Chapter 6 - Conclusion : Defining Spatial Engagement Guidelines 6.1 Overview 6.2 Findings Towards Understanding Spatial Engagement 6.2.1 Form & Design To Classicising 6.2.2 Servant & Served To Expressing 6.2.3 Silence & Light To Romanticizing 6.3 Contribution Towards Successful Spatial Engagement 6.4 Recommendations On Successful Spatial Engagement References

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND STUDY 1.1.1 Issue : Disengaging Spaces Engaging spaces are vital to promote this relationship between user and building, as “identity space” which serves as a “rallying point” binds disparate people.

(Hubbard and Kitchin, 2006). Architectural elements in design narration are important for creating experiential and engaging spaces. Space can be understood as fundamental in providing a locus of identity and sense of belonging among those who inhabit it (Hubbard and Kitchin, 2006). Apart from sole imaginative, individual and collective sense of belonging are molded by a fulcrum of both material and symbolic manifestation of space.(Kelly Baker, 2012). This envisions form and space as a binding force which connect people to a place and through this shared sense of place, imaginatively to one another. An item whose pieces came together in such a unique way, it almost seems poetic. In doing so, it allows a relationship between the person viewing the architecture and the architecture itself.

Disengaging space is a problematic relationship between people and the current state of architecture. Design once was focused on experience and emotions.

Disengaging spaces doesn't attract people with sentiment, magnificence, closeness, and memory. Architecture was expressed with a sense of belonging and spiritual satisfaction. It engaged people with a sense of beauty, intimacy, and memory, offering an emotional platform. The following discusses three main reasons why architecture is not currently reaching this plateau and what society can do to realign thinking with more humanistic principles.

Firstly, is the scientific thinking focused on optimization, low cost, and efficiency. It is the side effect of Modernism, a transformation that happened at the end of the 17th century. Scientific thinking rejected the interpretive and non-tangible aspects of architecture. Buildings were no longer concerned with their relationship to humanity. Buildings became their own individual objects having little or no interest with the people they contained. As a result, the practice of design was transformed into a technological science focus. Despite being important principles that should influence design, architects may be placing too much emphasis on them. Buildings that once looked like the Parthenon, have settled to looking like boxes.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

9

Secondly is the development of an urban culture that is rooted within privatization and individualism. Up until the 18th century, life occurred within the public realm as a form of relaxation, enjoyment, and social engagement. People enjoyed being on the streets, where one felt connected to the greater social establishment that constituted their society. Society now see the public through a different perspective. Being in public is no longer desirable and architecture has started reflecting these principles. Creating exclusively private spaces, architecture used to engage the social complexities of society but shifted away from the public realm. Architecture that looked like boxes started behaving like prison.

The third is the commodification of architecture into a mode of branding. As architecture entered the service industry it became a marketing strategy. In so doing, eliminated the potential for genuine emotions in response to creative design solutions.

The design of fast-food chains, where hundreds of identical buildings spread across the world, resemble products more than they do the creation of societies.

A research study by Julia Bermudez from the Catholic University of America, asked over a thousand participants to describe their most intimate spatial experience.

More than half of the responses included the word emotional. Thus, with emotion is an important principle for architecture, why is it not priority in design? Society preserve beautiful historic architecture because rooted within its construction, are the values and principles of that specific time period. Society invested in architecture and with that investment came character and identity of some of the major cities of today.

Modernism looked to reduce the non-central aspects of architecture. But taking these reductionist principles and pushing them to absurdity, it sterilized architecture from a design process that foster character. Sleek modernist buildings hide all the details so that the pure form of the building is not compromised by the joints that create it. It undermines the potential aesthetic beauty that comes with a beautiful material assembly.

As a side effect to the efficiency and optimization of this movement, spaces tend to lose its connection to the users, thus becoming emotionless and disengaging.

As a result Late Modernism tried to answer this dilemma and Louis Kahn was one of the prominent architects, who successfully addressed this issue. The following subchapter elaborates this point.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

10

Figure one elaborates on the transition from classicism that adheres to the concept of function follows form to Modernism that adheres to the concept of form follows function. As side effects of optimization, development of individualistic urban culture, buildings that no long concern with its relationship to humanity and mass copied buildings that no longer reflect the culture of a society, resulted in the late modernism movement which translated less is more into less is bore. Late modernism brings back spatial engagement by injecting buildings with values and principles of a society, character and identity of a place and emotions and intimacy of humanity.

With this understanding based on literature reviews, comes the underlying question of the paper by studying one particular architect and his methods in achieving spatial engagement which is further elaborated in the following chapters.

Figure 1 : Transition from Classicism to Late Modernism

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

11

1.1.2 Late Modernism : Addressing Spatial Disengagement Modernism first emerged in the early twentieth century. However, it was only after the Second World War that it became popular. Modernist planning was implemented as a solution to the previous failure of architecture to meet basic social needs in the rapid need of dwellings. Modernist planning was a popular idea. It was used as a solution to address issues of optimization, efficiency and economy. This resulted in an industrialized urban culture rooted within privatization and individualism. The movement could not adequately comprehend and cater for the social dynamics of family and community, values that are vastly still being neglected today.

Late modernism evolved to answer this question. It is an architectural style that emerged in the late 80s. Late modernism encompasses the overall production of the most recent architecture made between the aftermath of World War II and the early years of the 21st century. The terminology often points to similarities between late modernism and post-modernism. Late modernism is the bridge between modernism and post-modernism.

This movement was aimed at the revival of artistic craftsmanship. It serves as an antidote to the ugliness of mass production and dissemination of modern buildings.

It also serves as an antidote to the dehumanization of the industrial production process.

It adheres to some architectural principles. The use of materials in their natural form: Honesty in Expression. The use of human scale as the measuring stick: Humanism.

Integrate structures with their context: Critical Regionalism. Drawing elements from local vernacular: Balance with Tradition. Create public domains and convivial spaces: Balance with Community. Thus, late modernism marks the pioneering approach in creating spaces that evoke a feeling of appropriate use among users back into architecture. Therefore, architects from the late modernism movement were studied to understand their solutions and philosophies pertaining to experiential and engaging spaces and one holistic architect was chosen to explore further into spatial engagement.

One such architect is Louis Isadore Kahn. The architect holistically answers to spatial engagement and the rudiments vital in creating an engaging spatial design.

The following sub-chapters narrates on an overview of architects involved pertaining to designing engaging spaces, and how Louis Kahn was chosen.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

12

Figure 2 : Late Modernists and scale of works

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

13

1.1.3 Late Modernists : Choosing Louis Kahn “Architecture is the thoughtful making of spaces. It is the creating of spaces that evoke a feeling of appropriate use.” (Kahn, 1969, p.6)

Architects in this movement realized the importance of re-engaging spaces with people. Returning the humanistic values of a building was prioritized. Some of the architects who have in depth approaches of humanizing spaces are Louis I. Kahn, Philip Johnson, Sir Peter Cook, Alison and Peter Smithson, Cedric Price and Paul Rudolph amongst other late modern architects (figure 2). Many of these architects have explored design at many scales.

Louis Kahn, in terms of scale has explored his approach from component, building to urban scales. The human agreement, the room and the street are his narration of scales expressing engaging spaces. His utilitarian approach in expressing a holistic review of architecture can be seen in each scale. The availability of literature review, projects, drawings and scales of designs, makes Louis Kahn a suitable candidate to observe. His methods are analyzed and synthesized. His architectural philosophies and principles are studied in translating architectural elements into formal and spatial narration of engaging spaces.

Louis Isadore Kahn translate architectural elements into experiential and engaging spaces. “Architecture is the thoughtful making of spaces. It is the creating of spaces that evoke a feeling of appropriate use.” (Kahn, 1969). He creates an identity of space, evoking an engaging sense of belonging to the user. His heavy buildings for the most part do not hide their weight, their materials, or their assembly.

Louis Kahn’s works are monumental beyond modernism. Famous for his built works, his provocative proposals that remained unbuilt, and his teaching, Kahn was one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century. He received the AIA Gold Medal and the RIBA Gold Medal award. At the time of his death he was considered by some as “America’s foremost living architect.”

Kahn expected that the spaces he created would encourage three kinds of activities—living, working, and learning. (George H. Marcus, 2009). Louis Khan developed an arrangement of rooms that would foster human interaction, hoping that his interiors would encourage circulation between the rooms. Thus, his spaces would instill a sense of community among their users, creating what he described as a “society of rooms.” (George H. Marcus,1971).

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

14

Louis Khan mentioned that the room of the mind can interpret as a place inhabited by the mind. It encourages thought and reflection, and from this, the ideas for new buildings evolve. Kahn accommodated the realm of the intellect—learning, commemoration, and appreciation—in his innovative designs for libraries, memorials, and museums. The philosophies of Louis Khan are synthesized from

reading

materials of Changing symbols of public life: Louis khan’s religious and civic projects 1944-1966 and architectural culture at the end of modern movement.

(Ksiazek, Sarah Williams 1995).

Louis Kahn accommodated the realm of the self which is the intellect learning, the understanding which is the commemoration and the appreciation. His philosophy is embedded in his designs of libraries, memorials and museums. (Ksiazek, Sarah Williams 1995). He rendered a speech in University of Pennsylvania, a room of the mind interprets as a place inhabited by the mind. It encourages thought and reflection, and from this, the ideas for new buildings evolve. His idea of “society of rooms” notes that space arrangement should foster human interaction. Interiors would encourage circulation between rooms, hence promoting a sense of community among users. (Kahn, 1971). Therefore, Kahn’s disregard of typical space typology derives from the need to evoke experience and identity among the audience of Kahn’s designs (George H. Marcus, 2009). Studying his philosophies ensures a better understanding on how to create experiential and engaging spaces.

This study is a diachronic analysis of Louis Kahn’s ideas on engaging spaces during his transitional years from 1944-1966 with a synchronic reconstruction of the discourse through which he shaped his philosophies. The study demonstrates that underlying the dramatic formal explorations in Kahn’s vocabulary on spatial engaging designs and how he achieved them. Spatial engagement is the architect’s perception on how Louis Kahn designed his buildings - famous for spatial engaging elements with his underlying design principles.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

15

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT Disengaging space doesn't draw in individuals with a feeling of excellence, closeness, and memory. It is lost to the logical reasoning concentrated on enhancement, ease, and effectiveness. It is lost to the advancement of an urban culture that is established inside privatization and individualization. Design

that

resembled boxes began feeling like jail. It is lost to the commodification of architecture into a method of branding. Structures that carried on like jail are mass delivered like standardized tags. Society protect wonderful memorable design on the grounds that are established inside its development, are the qualities and standards of that particular day and age.

Louis Kahn has successfully designed engaging spaces throughout his career.

Louis Khan developed an arrangement of rooms that would foster human interaction, hoping that his interiors would encourage circulation between the rooms. Thus, his spaces would instill a sense of community among their users, creating what he described as a “society of rooms.”. Therefore, Kahn’s disregard of typical space typology derives from the need to evoke experience and identity among the audience of Kahn’s designs (George H. Marcus, 1971). Thus, it is evident that the designs of Louis Kahn focuses on engaging spaces.

By theorizing the idea of engaging spatial designs in an architectural point of view, can we dissect and synthesize his philosophies and works into a generalized guideline? Can a theoretical idea be formed around Louis Kahn’s philosophies in achieving engaging spatial designs?

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION What are the narrations of spatial engagement through form and space in the design philosophies of Louis Kahn?

1.4 AIM This dissertation aims to study the translation of Louis I. Kahn's design philosophies through architectural elements in designing engaging spaces and to theorize an architectural perception on spatial engagement with a generalized guideline as an attempt to better understand the importance of spatial engagement.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

16

1.5 OBJECTIVES 1) To explore Literature Review and case studies on Louis Kahn’s design philosophies and the design principles on achieving spatial engagement.

2) To analyze the relationship between each of Louis Kahn's design philosophies in translating spatial engagement 3)To synthesize spatial engagement and theorizing an architectural perception guideline of Louis Kahn’s design philosophies in narrating spatial engaging designs.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE The significance of this study is to understand and synthesize Louis Khan’s design philosophies and its relationship with spatial engagement. To understand what are the criteria involved behind said philosophies and its co-relation with one another in achieving an engaging spatial design. With an architectural perception this may help guide architects, developers, designers, authorities, and academicians to foster supportive environments in future developments.

Figure 3 : Dissertation framework.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

17

CHAPTER 2 - METHODS & METHODOLOGY A Case Study methodology is used to achieve the aim of this study. First, literature review is done to determine and define the architectural components that define Louis Kahn’s philosophies on spatial engagement. The literature review in chapter 3 analyzes Louis Kahn’s approach on designing engaging spaces via case studies. Definitive philosophies on spatial engagement, and the components of form and space involved in translating engaging spaces are extracted, hence objective 1 is answered here.

Following on, in chapter 4, different civic projects of Louis Khan are analyzed.

The secondary data is obtained from multiple sources for example - lecture series of the Louis Kahn, literature review of other authors on his philosophies, critical analysis articles and books on his works as well as e-books on case studies. Each case study is analyzed based on the synthesized architectural components extracted from chapter 3. Every case study is analyzed on how it reflects the philosophies on spatial engagement. A table is derived from the case studies to understand the relationship between each philosophy. Hence answering objective 2. Chapter 5 summarizes and discusses the findings and attempts to theorize a more generalized idea based on Louis Kahn’s philosophies to answer objective 3. Finally in Chapter 6, it concludes the findings into a theoretical guideline of Louis Kahn’s spatial engagement narrations into a generalized guideline as an answer to the research question.

Some of the significant studies are The Salk Institute, La Jolla, California (1959- 1965), a campus composed of three clusters it was dubbed as one of Khan’s defining works. The second is the First Unitarian Church, Rochester, New York (1959-1969), playing with natural light and materials, it is dubbed as one of the greatest twentieth century religious structures by Paul Goldberger. The third project is the Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban in Dhaka, Bangladesh (1962 - 1974) which was Khan’s last project and dubbed as Khan’s magnum opus.

The

fourth project is Philips Exeter Academy Library, Exeter, New

Hampshire (1965 - 1972), which won Khan the 25 years award by AIA. The fifth project is the Richards Medical Research Laboratories, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (1957- 1965), it was dubbed to be the breakthrough project for Khan and plant the expression of served and servant spaces.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

18

There are other projects analyzed as well to further elaborate the design philosophies of Louis I. Kahn. These projects were chosen based on their complexities and their civic typology. They were also chosen for their accolades and notable design exploration. Louis Khan’s design philosophies are synthesized and tabulated thematically. Upon synthesizing these projects in detail, a logical mapping is produced co-relating architectural elements with methods of designing engaging spaces (figure 3). Once the mapping has been finalized it is then proposed as design solutions to answer aim and research question.

2.1 LIMITATIONS AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES The dissertation expects to synthesize Louis Khan’s architectural works and design philosophies and map them accordingly into a relationship tabulation between architectural elements, philosophy and spatial engagement. The study on spatial engagement is a theoretical architecture perception of the author and not a participant experience based study.

Many architects have explored the notion of spatial study, especially in the late modernism movement. However only Louis Kahn's philosophies are chosen due to personal preferences and the holistic nature of his works. Besides that, Louis Kahn is a lecturer as thus his philosophies are backed by valid documented data and there are many available case studies.

However, site visits to said case studies are not carried out due to monetary and time constraints. Hence case studies are to be analyzed thoroughly through literature review. As Louis Kahn has expressed many philosophies, his main philosophies only pertaining to spatial engagement are studied and interpreted until the concept of engaging spaces are understood.

The mapping needs to be clear and concise with definitive aspects of architectural components and engaging spaces and how it co-relates to user experiences. The outcome will also include possible design strategies that translate a space as an engaging environment and their factors pertaining to Louis Kahn’s philosophies.

The study narrows down to design philosophies of Louis Khan on spatial design alone as the paper aims to synthesis his work pertaining to engaging spaces for user experience. The paper provides an interpretive framework.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

19

CHAPTER 3 - CASE STUDIES 3.1 EXPRESSING FORM & DESIGN Kahn in 1950s mentioned the idea of “Form and Design”, reacting to function-specific and dehumanized program. The tension between an abstract, allencompassing use was the definition of Form and the implementation of that notion into a physical design and building was Design. Kahn (1955) quoted “Design was the basic, immutable law that governs the organization of natural structures”. He narrated the concepts of the eternal form are similar to what Carl Jung called the collective unconscious within the archetypes. Collective unconscious refers to the realm that transcends the individual unconscious and is made up of archetypes. Kahn mentiones “And it’s important, you see, that you honor the material that you use. You can only do it if you honor the brick and glorify the brick instead of shortchanging it”. (Kahn, 1971) These

archetypes are patterns or forms modifying the eternal themes of

human experience. (Lobell, 1979). Kahn’s rational technique helped him to contextualize connections with the site, invigorating modernism in a way not envisioned by practitioner in the 1920s. (Susan G. Solomon 1997). In the book Architectural Hieroglyphics of Louis Kahn architecture as logos, Kahn elaborates the importance of form and design to translate spatial engagement.

South Radbill Building -1950 The South Radbill Building, Psychiatric Hospital; Pennsylvania designed between 1948 and 1954. The project designed as a Y solution which was functionally superior to others. The design is based on concrete -skeleton construction with a row of columns arranged along the central axis.

Philadelphia City Centre Urban Planning -1952 Kahn did not only focus on the concept of hollow column in his philosophy of form and design within the scale of a support column nor a service staircase, however expanded it to an urban scale in his City Centre of Philadelphia planning.

Kahn expressed functional hierarchy provides order. His ideas in platonic geometry can be seen in the city planning of Philadelphia. Creating a centralized space for the civic centre and surrounding it with street and parking to create “order of movement”, Kahn envisioned his hollow column concept on an urban scale. (Reed, Peter Shedd, 1989).

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

20

Yale University Of Art Gallery -1953 A further elaboration of a hollow column acting as an experiential space for spiritual satisfaction is elaborated in a larger scale of space. In the Yale University Art Gallery, Kahn designed a hollow column that houses the staircase, in which he was able to explore light and shadow play. He envisioned even a transitional space such as a staircase needs to evoke emotions, hence covering the staircase in a hollow column, he successfully allowed the exploration of this concept. The concrete column blocks any opening on the elevation of the stairway and only allows natural light to flood in from up above through a triangular concrete ceiling.

Trenton Jewish Community Centre - Bath House -1955 The Bath house has hollow columns which serves a greater purpose than just acting as a support for the roof. Following the geometry of the design, the squares were repeated on the pavilion’s external corners as a support for the roof and act as storage spaces. (Sarah Williams, Ksiazek 1995). Each column is hollowed to house services in which the column plays an important role of architecture. Opening up spaces for experiential use and the hidden services does not hinder users and distract.

His primary concept of a hollow column is derived from expressing that a column need not to be merely a functional support, it can be a function of hiding services.

Salk Institute -1965 Kahn’s application of geometry is based on symmetrical forms. This can be seen in the Salk Institute, where the geometry is a reminiscent of Mandala, a natural order representation. (Gast,1998). Geometry persisted in Kahn’s design as did expressive use of masonry, structure to import a feeling of belonging in architectural mass. Kahn’s pursuit of idealized geometric order informed his sense of history from Greece and Rome. (Brownlee, 2005).

Dhaka National Assembly -1982 Kahn in his mature work used masonry (especially reinforced concrete) almost exclusively for their massive, rugged qualities. There are some highly recognizable forms, those are simple and geometrically regular, such as the platonic solids, adapt readily to subtractive treatment. These forms will retain their formal identities if portions of their volumes are removed without deteriorating their edges, corners and overall profile. Forms can be subtracted completely within, partially by other interlocked forms; ambiguity regarding a form's original identity will result if the portion removed from its volume erodes its edges and drastically alters its profile.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

21

3.2 EXPRESSING FUNCTION Pertaining to the needs of his clients and by taking into consideration of architectural community’s prevailing understanding with architecture. Kahn was fast to develop an important philosophy of “Servant” and “Served” concept of space.He mentions “Today, we must build with hollow stones…the nature of space is further characterized by the minor spaces that serve it. Storage rooms, service rooms and cubicles must not be partitioned areas of a single space structure, they must be given their own structure.” (1971). His modernist approach to finding solutions led him to explore hierarchical, functionally defined spaces and the integrity of individual rooms.

(Susan G. Solomon 1997).

He separated the primary “served” spaces from a subsidiary, but equally well defined “servant” spaces in which accommodated supporting needed spaces. Kahn indicated a certain paradigm by the term “nature of space”. Space in this concept should be in harmony with its function and respect every part its inner characters.

Space also should be humanized based on inspirations such as to meet, learn, and well-being of user. “What impresses Norberg-Schulz about Kahn’s work is the architect’s ability to make timeless human values concrete in the spatial organizations of his temporal designs” (Burton, 1998). Kahn’s form and design revolved a lot on monumentality as well as humanizing the architecture scale.

Trenton Jewish Community Centre - Bath House -1955 The large space demands a large span, this identifies one of the order in the hierarchy of spaces which make the connecting building from the small servant space of significance. The Bath house served as a guide for the entire Jewish Community Centre whereby it’s compartmented spaces was a model for integrating services into a building. This principle was the servant spaces supporting the served Bath House function. The Bath house was rotated forty five degrees as a diamond pavilion which comprised of octagonal cells bound on four of its eight sides by smaller squares. The central section containing the entrance was composed of octahedron arranged in two lines of three pavilions each. This creates a transition space and allows nature to fill the pockets of space, hence reconnecting to the Bath House. “The Trenton Bath House gave me the first opportunity to work out the separation between the serving and served spaces. It was a very clear and simple problem. It was solved with absolute purity. Every space is accounted for, there is no redundancy. I used them as a SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

22

maze, a baffle, and I used the hollow column itself as a storage area. I used it for toilets, which must be enclosed. And I found, during the expression of this very simple building, the concept of the serving and served spaces… I thought of a support as being a hollow column which can be used. That’s the only place where I could put the services. So, the source of support, the column, became the place which harbored the service of the building.” (Kahn, 1955) Philadelphia City Centre Urban Planning -1952 Kahn’s principle is embedded in every scale of his design as he mentioned “an architect can build a house and build a city in the same breath”. Kahn’s civic centre was a primary symbol of public association and as a place of memory. His centralized planning of the city by surrounding the center city with expressways and parking towers, was a symbolic wall to project the city within.

Philips Exeter Academy Library -1972 Khan’s design in Philips Exeter Academy (1967-1972) in New Hampshire narrates a centrality in design that meets the function of the library. It serves a great space for readers and librarians. In this central space, it becomes an invitation for users to use the space with a facade of books. The massive circle subtraction of the walls showcases the scale of the building within and the facade of books narrating its function.

Dhaka National Assembly -1982 Kahn planned the design in five major components which were to be placed in a 'necklace formation'. These comprise the National Assembly block, the centerpiece of the entire project and containing nine blocks, the south block or main plaza, the Presidential Square, the east hostels, and the west residential block. The layout of the complex is based on a main north-south axis, with the Assembly Chamber acting as the focal point of interest and attention. This was achieved by designing a monumental building for the Assembly itself, and by placing the smaller buildings on diagonals to the east and west of it. A man-made lake, which they face, separates them from the secretariat.

Hence the supportive spaces act as servant to the served space which is the Assembly Chamber with the highest hierarchy as a focal point. This transition narrates the order of spaces in which the most important space is centralized while the servant spaces surround it. National Assembly Building, Dhaka -is a perfect example of wise addition of service forms with the main served form. Spatial SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

23

Tension has been created here by placing two forms relatively close to each other and they are sharing a common visual trait such as the same facing concrete texture wrapping marble bands around both the interior and exterior wall. The interior of the Assembly Building is divided into three zones.

The Central zone is the area of the Assembly Hall. The middle zone provides inner circulation which gives access to committee rooms and the library. The outer zone is the area of the offices, Party Rooms, Lounges, Tea Rooms and Restaurant, the Garden Entrance, and the Entrance of the Mosque.

3.3 EXPRESSING NATURE Kahn narrated the use of “Silence and Light” to express his belief in the intersection of ideal objectives and real solutions could result in an artistic creation that is very much sanctified. He mentiones ““. . . we are living in a time when the sun is temporarily suspended from serving man. Somehow even the sun was under suspicion. All our institutions were to be reviewed. And it could have been a catastrophic thing in my mind, if I hadn’t thought of this. The white light and the black shadow filled my mind with great possibility. (Kahn, 1971) The balance of context, content and nature of pragmatic use with lofty goals focused on how his solutions affected the people who experienced them. Kahn forged his own integration of secular and spiritual humanism (Susan G. Solomon 1997).

Kahn’s ideology of nature is not limited to the formal aspects of it, rather it is a more concentrated approach on natural human needs and desires. (Norberg-Schulz 1988).

The theory of silence and light exemplifies the origin of creative expression within the human mind. The idea, a richly lyrical product of intellectual maturity and confidence, was the fusion of several threads of thought, which continued to develop until Kahn’s death in 1974. Within the content of this idea, Kahn had seen light as the meaning of expression given by nature, and silence as a desire of expression welling up from the collective unconscious. The points of their meeting create the inspiration that lead to the creation of work in art (Tyng, 1984).

Morton Weiss House -1947 Sunshade Elements Louis I. Kahn started to consider the role of light in his architecture by the 1940s. The very first attempt to use a device for sunlight was in the Weiss House, built in 1947. He first started to use sunshade elements with SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

24

transversal wooden louvers at the facade to provide a device that would control the amount of light reaching the interior.

South Radbill Building -1950 The strip windows were used for the openings and ventilation was provided by pivoting open the top-hung windows from the bottom out ward. To protect the strip windows from direct sunlight, he extended the slab on both south and west sides and hollowed inside with wooden cubes. These light filters are created in such a dimension that at particular times of the day and only a fraction of sunlight will fall on the facade and create an interesting pattern of light on the window surfaces.

Philips Exeter Academy Library -1972 The intimacy of the reading areas contrasts with the instrumentality of the central hall. Instead of the "quiet, cool light" of the central hall and the "utilitarian light" of the stacks, the visitor finds here, in the reading area, plenty of windows providing "warm and inviting" natural light. Each of the perimeter study carrels features a tiny window that offers a view outdoors because, as Kahn recognized, "occasional distraction is as important in reading as concentration�. This movement to the reading area completes Kahn's statement that the reader should be able to take the book to the light, as the study carrels are bathed in natural light. Meanwhile, overhead windows also provide light for the interior reading areas and mezzaninelevel study carrels.

Dhaka National Assembly -1982 Complex Dome structure as Kahn’s great ability to work with skylight grew more sophisticated, he altered his skylight prototype from a single opening to complex dome structures. The roof structure in the National Assembly at Dhaka was his last and great solution as a skylight. In 1962, he designed the National Assembly Building in Dhaka Bangladesh (1962-74) as a dense, multilateral, concentric agglomeration of walled spaces clustered around the central Assembly Chamber: press offices, secondary meeting halls, and a mosque. The minor units are also multilateral, admitting light through geometric cutouts in their solid, forbidding walls which suggest an austere, overpowering image of a fortress enclosed by rings of walls and towers. The Assembly Hall was the heart of the building.

Kahn describes his concept of the hollow column as an architectural element beyond the scope of other architectural elements; light from above into atriums is for SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

25

him a significant sign for the irrational and the transcendent. Kahn worked many years to find the best solution for the roof of the hall. After ten years of working in 1972, the final roof structure was designed as an umbrella form (hyperbolic paraboloid) which spans the octagon of the Assembly Hall on extremely fragileseeming support points. The periphery between the walls and the paraboloid dome becomes “ring of light”. To provide more light for the Assembly Hall, Kahn installed additional windows on the outside wall of the “ring of light", however they are covered by white textile strips to prevent glare. The National Assembly building was one of Louis I. Kahn’s most magnificent buildings by the means of its form and manipulation of light. Kahn accomplished to provide natural light in the Assembly Hall and connected the legislators to the rhythm of the Sun. 3.4 SUMMARY

Table A: Humanistic values in relation to engaging spaces

Based on literature review Louis Kahn as a late modernist architect focusing on basic efficient shapes that define his spaces, started defining his spaces with other principles as well. He realized the importance of human needs and desire, and decided to react to it with nature and archetypes based on their specific functions. He emphasized on returning to human nature and rules in nature (table A).

Spaces that has a will to be expressed by archetypes. Nature of materials were one of his objectives in defining spaces. Finally his spaces have a form that has a SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

26

sense of application. “How marvelous that when in a room with another soon the mountains, trees, wind, and the rain leave us for the mind and the room becomes a world in itself.� (Kahn, 1972). These spaces are well defined with geometrical shapes, has clear order and creates a sense of monumentality. The harmony between materials and forms are preserved. The centrality in space is harmonized by the natural light in space.

It is noted that Louis Kahn revolves around three main ideas or philosophies Form and Design, Silence and Light and Servant and Served. There are repitative keywords such as geometry, symmetry, hollow column, materials, monumentality, centrality, order, skylights, atriums, and applied devices (table B) used while interpreting each philosophy. Thus the table below categorizes each philosophy with its elements. The following chapter will further elaborate on how these elements are expressed in each of the case studies to understand the holistic approach of spatial engagement designs by Louis Kahn and to map the co-relation between each philosophy.

SPATIAL ENGAGEMENT PHILOSOPHIES FORM

&

DESIGN

SERVANT & SERVED

SILENCE & LIGHT

elements

elements

elements

- geometry

- monumentality

- skylight

- symmetry

- centrality

- atriums

- hollow column

- order

-applied devices (shading)

- materials

Table B : Table expressing spatial engagement philosophies and constituting architectural elements

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

27

Figure 4b : Analyzed philosophies with respective architectural elements

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

20

CHAPTER 4 - THE COMPONENTS IN CASE STUDIES Architectural elements assemble the philosophies into form and space to achieve spatial engagement that evokes a sense of belonging amongst users. (Kahn, 1972, p. 21)

Bachelard’s theory suggests an example of space, which is deep intimate and simple, visualizes congruence with values of being, as everything in this space human being and perceived elements in space - is in accordance with its true being. It is fundamental that space is not abstract, yet space can be better understood in its phenomenological sense as it is full of life. (Norberg-Schulz 1988).

Louis Kahn’s designs deals with the notion of duality,(table 3)

both

permanent and ephemeral: light and shadow, served and service, and form and design.

The distinction between Form and Design implicated further definitions of the measurable and the immeasurable. Kahn regarded Form as something which defined the essence of architecture; Design is the circumstantial manifestation of such a Form.

Architectural elements assemble the philosophies into form and space to achieve spatial engagement that evokes a sense of belonging amongst users. (Kahn, 1972).

Kahn’s approach to spatial design was to relate something very essential.

Kahn worked on expressing the essential directly without separating from the existential. His essential spaces are described in terms of human inspirations. (Susan Noormhammodi, 2012). “In us, inspiration to express, inspiration to question, inspiration to learn, inspiration to question to love, these brings to man his institutions, the architect is the maker of their spaces” (Latour, 1991). Louis Kahn revolves around nature of space to engage and create a sense of belonging that focuses on commonalities in human nature.

This evokes sense of belonging that transcend the rational expression of utilitarian and structural excellence. (Burton, Joseph Arnold 1983). In, The Making of a Room, Louis Kahn took this notion from the bottom up approach by adopting the idea that the room was the basis of architecture. Each purposeful space was generated by his idea of the building plan. His forte of this philosophy would encourage three types of activities - living, working and learning. His approach was to foster human interaction and foster circulation between rooms. Hence instilling a sense of community among the users as he described as “society of rooms” (Kahn 1969).

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

21

He proclaimed “Monumentality in architecture may be defined as a quality, a spiritual quality inherent in a structure which conveys the feeling of its eternity, that it cannot be added or changed (Latour, 1991). This idea revolves around Kahn’s expressionism approach to architecture. He used components ranging from horizontal and vertical elements to textile strips until he designed more sophisticated solutions and integrate structure itself to be a light source. Kahn’s space designs are often varying in scale using strong geometry and massive enclosures by using thick masonry walls. Kahn’s spaces always composed light in its own particular way (Koyama, 1983). It is clear that Kahn concludes his space as a transformation of place in respect to its function.

Kahn’s explorative design of form heavily relied on materials and geometric shapes. He took many inspirations from the great pyramids and the roman ruins of pantheons and coliseum. His form development in the mid 1950s explored his personal examination of their intrinsic meaning and social value, a pursuit for human civilization of communication and interaction towards spiritual association. Kahn envisioned a space which was an evocative monumentality of basic geometry.

Based on the literature review, Louis Kahn focuses on three philosophies to translate spatial engagement and narrate sense of belonging within his designs. The mutual symbiotic relationship between all three philosophies results in a successful interpretation of spatial engagement. For instance, the elements of geometry (platonic shapes), symmetry (Palladian axiality), hollow column (monumental void) and materials (exposed honesty) constitutes the idea of form and design. On the other hand, elements of skylights (openings), atriums and applied devices (shading devices) constitute the idea of silence and light. Finally, the idea of servant and served is translated by using elements of monumentality, centrality and order(hierarchy). (figure 4).

Case studies and readings implies expressing archetypes in terms of scale of spaces expresses function, expressing nature with architectural components expresses archetypes and finally expressing function with composition of elements expresses nature (table C&D). These paradigms are inter-related with each other to form a successful spatial engagement towards its users, whether creating an experiential space or evoking a sense of belonging.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

22

Table C: Reading material summary 1

Table D: Reading material summary 2

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

23

4.1 PHILOSOPHY : FORM AND DESIGN Kahn (1955) quoted “design was the basic, immutable law that governs the organization of natural structures”. He narrated the concepts of the eternal form are similar to what Carl Jung called the collective unconscious and the archetypes.

Collective unconscious refers to the realm that transcends the individual unconscious and is made up of archetypes.

These archetypes are patterns or forms modifying the eternal themes of human experience. (Lobell, 1979). Kahn regarded Form as something which defined the essence of architecture; Design is the circumstantial manifestation of such a Form.

It is observed that Louis Kahn expresses the philosophy of Form and Design using architectural elements of hollow column, geometry, symmetry, and materials.

4.1.1 Case Studies Scale

-

human,

room,

street

Trenton Jewish Community Centre - Bath House HOLLOW COLUMN: The bath house most prominent design idea lies in its structural hollow columns (figure 5). The hollow column instead of just providing support for the roof, it also houses bathrooms and other services. This approach allows a more useful function for a structural element as well as providing an open design,. The spatial provides privacy within its columns and openness in the common spaces for mutual congregation.

GEOMETRY: The Trenton Jewish community Centre’s bath house is made up of standard geometrical shapes of triangles (pyramid) for the pyramid roof, rectangles (cuboid) for the service columns and brick walls, and circle (eclipse) for the central landscape (figure 6). The pyramid roof is inspired by the great pyramids as the distinctive brick work is inspired by the Greeks Parthenon. They are a symbol of the lineage of the Jews that came to America during the post-war period.

SYMMETRY: Each of these geometry are positioned symmetrically mirroring either side (figure 7, 8 & 9). The columns are symmetrical to its neighbouring columns as their service openings too are opposing each other. This routes people in a clear circulation without confusion adding value to the spatial engagement.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

24

MATERIALS: The exposed brick work (figure 10) and the exposed underside of the pyramid roof with basic engineering principles (figure 11) adds value and characteristics to the bath house and allowing a distinct spatial engagement of a raw and exposed bath house from materials to openness of space.

Figure 5: Hollow Column

Figure 6: Geometric Shapes

Figure 7: Symmetry inside the Bath House

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

25

Figure 8: Symmetry reflected on the exterior of Trenton Bath House

Figure 9: Plan drawings reflect geometrical shapes arranged in a mirroring symmetry.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

26

Figure 10: Exposed concrete blocks

Figure 11: Timber joists for roof

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

27

The Yale University Art Gallery HOLLOW COLUMN: The Yale University Art Gallery houses its stairway in the cylindrical hollow concrete column. The transition from a rectangular large room into a smaller closed concrete tube creates a transition of experience, solidifying the space as an engaging experiential gallery (figure 12). It showcases the importance of every part of the design in the gallery.

GEOMETRY: The Yale University Art Gallery is a series of triangular staircase tucked into a hollow cylindrical column, (figure 14) and covered by a triangular ceiling. The cylindrical hollow tube is a unique modification as usually service spaces have four walls. The triangular flow of steps also creates a different experience for user and fits in a hollow concrete tube. This expresses that even a transitional space can provide experience for people.

SYMMETRY: The Yale University Art Gallery houses its stairway in the centre of a rectangular room, the symmetry of the interior provides focus towards the feature staircase (figure 15). Unlike spaces that expresses room and hides services, the approach here is inverted. However it enhances the spatial engagement of the room as a holistic art gallery.

MATERIALS: The exposed steel steps (figure 13) and raw concrete column allows honesty of materials, expressing the construction details of the architectural component.

Figure 12: concrete blocks allowing light

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

Figure 13: Steel Staircase

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

28

Figure 14: Atrium made up of Geometric Shapes

Figure 15: Symmetry reflected in the Yale Art Gallery

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

29

The Kimbell Art Museum SYMMETRY: The Kimbell Art Museum, uses paraboloid domes and arches that reflect longitudinal spaces. This symmetry encourages movement as the spaces are meant for dense circulation (figure 16). Its provides a single point perspective as users walk through the museum, providing a vanishing point, guiding circulation.

MATERIALS: The exposed concrete work on the domes is highlighted when natural light bounces off the ceiling (figure 17), expressing the dome as pieces of artwork.

Figure 16: Symmetry reflected on the corridor of the Kimbell Art Museum

Figure 17: The application of shading devices and openings for natural lighting

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

30

Scale - human, room, street The Dhaka National Assembly HOLLOW COLUMN: The building is met in the centre by a large volume of void space - the open auditorium. This behaves as the hollow column of the building, the idea of main function and the largest space centralized while other spaces support it is explained in the following philosophy (figure 18). The central space having an openness to it engages importance and heightens the value of the space, - a place of dialogue and congregation.

GEOMETRY: The Dhaka National Assembly constitutes basic geometric shapes on plans and elevations. It is expressed in the design’s openings, floor plan (figure 20) and structure. The circular and triangular large openings creates a unique language for the building. This makes the building look monumental from far (figure 19), creating its own spatial engagement as a statement building. While the plan is a merge of squares and circles, it allows efficient usage of space allowing bold translation of spatial engagement.

SYMMETRY: The building symmetry compliments its geometrical design. The large geometrical openings are mirrored on every corner of the building just as the plan is symmetrical on two separate axis. This plan creates a commonness of space while the large symmetrical openings spells engaging space (figure 21). The large symmetrical openings housing the stairway shows the transition space, instead of being hidden. It also enhances a statement as a government building from afar with a symmetrical design reflecting strength and order.

MATERIALS: The materials of the buildings are local material of concrete. With the concrete work finished without paint, exposes the rawness of the material found in the locality. Creating a engaging space of transparency for the building and its political function, the bare concrete finishes is extended from the facade to the stairway.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

31

Figure 18 : Hollow column concept

Figure 19 : Geometrical study

Figure 20 : The application of geometry in design

Figure 21: the symmetry expression of the building with bold exposed concrete facade.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

32

The Philips Exeter Academy Library HOLLOW COLUMN: The Philips Exeter Academy Library is symmetrical on both perpendicular axis. This is met with a large void in the centre of the building, behaving like a hollow column. The idea behind, is to create an inviting spatial engagement within the building. Hence the hollow column (figure 22) acts as a building statement. Providing a monumental atrium and exposing the book shelves via the large circular openings further imprints the spatial engagement of the building as a library.

GEOMETRY: The Philips Exeter Academy Library is a basic cube on the outside and has a series of large circular openings (figure 23) to express the monumentality within. With a very basic approach to the design, the library is modernist on the outside, however it creates a very distinguished emotion in the interior. The large circular openings emphasizes the book shelves as an architectural language as well.

Thus what seems like a simple building on the outside, evokes a spatial engagement of paradoxical emotion inside.

I made the outer depth of the building like a brick doughnut…. I made the inner depth of the building like a concrete doughnut, where the books are stored away from the light. The central area is a result of these two contiguous doughnuts; it’s just the entrance where books are visible all around you through the big circular openings.

So you feel the building has the invitation of books [quoted in Architectural Forum 1972: 77].

SYMMETRY: The Philips Exeter Academy Library is symmetrical on both perpendicular axis (figure 24). This creates a very unbiased and passive spatial arrangement. By doing so, the building has equal sides and it provides equal emphasis on the reading spaces as the primordial function of the library. The need for expressive design is omitted within the building except for it’s atrium in order to prevent a distraction towards the readers. The spaces engage intimacy and privacy of space.

MATERIALS: The brick facade is complimented by the large concrete openings in the interior, the brick wall expresses commonness while the interior concrete work expresses boldness. The interior facade is softened by the wooden book shelves that fills the circular voids.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

33

Figure 22 : Hollow Column concept in Exeter

Figure 23 : Geometric shapes in the interior

Figure 24 : Building designed in symmetry using concrete blocks, beams and wooden shelves.

The Kimbell Art Museum GEOMETRY: The Kimbell Art Museum, uses paraboloid domes and arches to express the roof of the building. The museum efficiently uses these geometry of roof (figure 25) to cater for passive natural lighting in the interior spaces. The archways allow an even distribution of passive lighting. This creates a poetic spatial engagement for people to appreciate a space showcasing art.

Figure 25 : The curved geometric designs creating light wells throughout the building.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

34

The Salk Institute GEOMETRY: The Salk Institute constitutes basic geometric shapes on plan and elevation alike. It expresses many rectangular forms and triangular forms from plan and elevation (figure 27). With merging these geometries, Kahn successfully created spaces that are engaging and exciting, mainly acting as vertical sun shading. This creates a spatial engagement different to other institutes in its own composition of architectural elements.

SYMMETRY: The Salk Institute houses its proportioned building blocks on a single axis symmetry. Divided by an assembly point, a fountain drain draws a line marking the axis of symmetry (figure 28). The building blocks are mirrored, hence emphasizing on the open space as a main entrance of the building. The institute’s building blocks are a repetitive typology forming an unbiased design on either side to compliment the assembly point. This is another form of passive engaging spaces providing intimacy of classrooms (figure 26).

Figure 26 : Exposed concrete blocks in Salk

Figure 27 : Use of basic geometry

Figure 28: The symmetry of block arrangement

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

35

The Hurva Synagogue SYMMETRY: The theoretical temple building symmetry compliments its geometrical design. The entrance of the religious space is mirrored with large tapered elements creating a large entrance (figure 29). This humbles the faithful and provide a space engaging balance and spirituality.

Figure 29: Symmetry with geometrical block arrangement.

Scale - human, room, street The Philadelphia City Planning HOLLOW COLUMN: The idea of hollow column at an urban scale is clearly defined

by Kahn’s approach. The hollow column is represented by the main tower, being the tallest structure and most well defined design of the planning. The tower is surrounded by car park buildings that behave as a wall of the tower, creating a spatial engagement of threshold between the outside and inside of the city planning.

GEOMETRY: The Philadelphia City Planning narrates geometry on its grid like urban plan, the space framed tower, and its cylindrical car parks. The geometrical grid plan cuts out vehicular circulation on the outskirts of the city while focusing on pedestrian movement within the city (figure 31). The triangular space frame tower expresses a very modern approach to the technological city (figure 30). The cylindrical columned car park structures creates an environment within the building.

Thus, a spatial engagement of technology and pedestrian based is emphasized.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

40

SYMMETRY: The symmetrical aspect of the plan is narrated on one axis. The main tower is mirrored by car park buildings on either side and connecting roads turning into the city. This allows an ease of circulation and clarifies the spatial engagement of roads, parking, functional towers and dwellings in a clear order (figure 32)..

MATERIALS: The materials are defined as new technological explorations of space frame constitutes the tower, while a simple steel frame structure defines the car park structures. This defines a modern technological approach and creates a spatial engagement of modernity in the city planning of Philadelphia.

Figure 30 : Geometrical Arrangement of main tower in city planning.

Figure 31 : Showcase of geometric buildings making up the city.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

41

Figure 32 : City planning that is done symmetrically ontwo axis.

4.1.2 Summary Architectural components allow platonic geometry, Palladian axiality, materials and the “hollow column�, translate into engaging spaces. The geometry of a building maintains familiarity as the symmetry evokes a sense of order. The hollow column idea instills hierarchy and centrality creating engaging spaces that are bold and clear.

As the usage of exposed materials from stucco, concrete, bricks, steel or wood allows an intimate and personal relationship between user and building (figure 33).

Elements/

Geometry

Symmetry

Hollow Column

Exposed Materials

Trenton

-triangles for roof

- Elevation expresses

- Rectangular

- Exposed Brick

Jewish house

- circular garden

symmetry from the

columns are hollowed

laying expresses

-rectangles for

exterior

to house services

building character

Case Studies

columns The Yale

- triangulated ceiling

- Interior elevation is

- The hollow tubular

-The tubular

University

cover for staircase

symmetrical from the

column houses the

column is exposed

-tubular enclosure

central axis if the

staircase

concrete to

for stairway

staircase

showcase authenticity

The Kimbell

- Half dome as roof

- the repititation of half

-The elongated

-Exposed concrete

Art Museum

for light penetration

domed structures

museum behaves as a

work characterizes

- rectangular spaces

create a symmetry on

hollow column

the museum for its

repeats along an axis

both elevation and plan

expressing circulation

purity of material

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

42

The Dhaka

- The circular

- Square main building

- The central atrium is

The exposed

National

opening to allow

with supporting half

a hollow tube that

concrete structure

Assembly

sunlight

tubular structures

houses the main

emphasizes the

- Square main

creates symmetry

auditorium

character of the

building

building as a civic

-Tubular structures

building for the

housing secondary

people

spaces The Philips

- Circular opening

- Similar four sides

- The central atrium

- Exposed concrete

Exeter

into the atirum

with same length

behaves as a hollow

compliments

Library

- Square main

creates symmetry from

column to invite users

wooden shelves to

building

both y and x axis.

into the library

evoke intimacy with users

The Salk

- Triangular

- Two blocks divided

- The exposed

Institute

stairway from plan

in the middle with a

concrete works

- squarish openings

linear fountain creates

extend to the

- rectangular

symmetry

fountain enhances

building blocks

the weight of the building

The Hurva

-Triangular roof

- Symmetrical

- Exposed concrete

Synagogue

extends as shading

structures shown on

work emphasizes

- rectangular

elevation

on monumentality

monumental

of building

structures The

- Circular carparks

- Town planning and

- Carpark acts as a

- Space frames as

Philadelphia

- Rectilinear town

structure arrangements

hollow column with

support structures

City Planning

planning

indicate a symmetrical

common parks in

for tower

-Triangular space

planning style

middle

framing for modern

- Arrangement of

sky scrapper

roads and carparks behave as a hollow column with central civic buildings filled in the middle

Table 1 : Explanation table for figure 33b

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

43

Figure 33b : Analyzed philosophies with respective architectural elements for Form and Design

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

44

4.2 PHILOSOPHY : SERVANT AND SERVED “is the constant distinction between the areas that are served and the areas that serve.”

Kahn was fast to develop an important philosophy of “Servant” and “Served” space.

His modernist approach to finding solutions led him to explore hierarchical, functionally defined spaces and the integrity of individual rooms. (Susan G. Solomon 1997). He separated the primary “served” spaces from a subsidiary, but equally well defined “servant” spaces in which accommodated supporting needed spaces. His servant and served spaces is translated by key components of monumentality - relates to geometry and symmetry, order (hierarchy) - relates to symmetry and hollowness, and centrality -relates to symmetry and hollowness.

Monumentality- “Monumentality in architecture may be defined as a quality, as spiritual quality inherent in a structure which conveys the feeling of its eternity, that it cannot beaded or changed… Monumentality is enigmatic. It cannot be intentionally created.”

Centrality- “I identify myself with the central space. I am near it. I don’t have to go from one place to another, one side to another. At this place is my place. You go up the stair, and you go to the left or to the right, and there you find, in one case the living room around which I live, and the dining room around which I live…You might say that the central space, its function, and the rooms around have a different mind than the mind which is to the left or to the right. The associations are different…It is really a matter of your mind opening up to something. Then suddenly your mind is open to eternity. There is something eternal. There is something that touches the sense of a certain nature which you never realized before. It goes deeper than knowing about it.”

Order- "Order does not imply beauty.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

45

4.2.1 Case Studies Scale - human, room, street The Margaret Esherick House CENTRALITY: The centrality of the staircase differentiates each of the spaces surrounding it. The seemingly light teak staircase stands in the middle of the house, much like a sculpture in its own right, and commands the space. It replaces the anticipated core masonry fireplace (hearth), while still serving as a reference point and an anchor for the house (figure 34). A paradoxical nature, between the lightness of the lofty stair case and its pivotal role in defining the house, indicates its centrality; the house does not grow out of it, rather it flows alongside it.

MONUMENTALITY: The house approaches monumentality not in the sense of its size or massiveness, rather in aspiration for timelessness. The austerity with which the spaces are treated, creating a sense of wholeness (figure 35).

ORDER: All of the servant spaces are located along the eastern periphery of the house. On the first floor, a sequence of kitchen, laundry room, and wet closet serves the dining room and living room beyond. Directly above another sequence of dressing room, bathroom, and closet is found. The distinction between served and servant spaces. The house consists of two faces: a front one which is closed for privacy, and a back one which is open to the greenery of Pastoria Park.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

46

Figure 34: The staircase becomes the focal space

Figure 35: The monumental effect of large glass walls

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

47

Trenton Jewish Community Centre - Bath House CENTRALITY: The bath house is an open concept structure, where the atrium is centralized. It is surrounded by basket room, porch, and dressing areas. The main spaces are supported and tucked into the columns, by servant spaces of baffled entries, pool manager office, pool machine room and storage (figure 36). Hence the most public space which is the atrium is supported by intermediate spaces and finally supported by servant intimate spaces.

MONUMENTALITY: The bath house has a different touch of monumentality in this design. Its monumentality is translation of history from the Egyptian pyramids and Greek concrete cross (figure 37). The Jews history tracking back to Egypt and Greece has lead to inscribing a sense of historical monumentality in the simplest form of the bath house. The pyramid roof is functional and poetic as well as the large columns that hold the roofs, reflecting the monumental columns of the Parthenon.

ORDER: The Trenton Jewish community centre bath house has its most intimate spaces such as the machine room, storage, manager room hidden in the hollow column spaces. Finally, the central atrium holds the largest order as a congregation space for people and open to the sky, (figure 38) it blends every space around it, functioning as the main served space (figure 39).

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

48

Figure 36: The main space is centralized supported by servant service spaces.

Figure 37: The monumental effect of the roof on the simpler looking blocks.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

49

Figure 38: The octahedron composition of structure to elaborate the servant and served spaces.

Figure 39: The order of spaces allows efficient usage of space.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

50

Scale - human, room, street The Dhaka National Assembly CENTRALITY: The design constitutes five major components which are placed in a necklace formation. It is made up of the National Assembly block, and surrounded by nine blocks, the south main plaza, the presidential square, the east hotels, and the west residential block (figure 40&41). The layout of the complex makes the assembly chamber as the focal point of the building.

MONUMENTALITY: The assembly chamber of the building is a full height volume that instills a monumental stature inside the building. The building adorning large openings geometrical openings on its facade creates a sense of monumentality (figure 42). They seem carved in the tall concrete block that from afar narrates a political statement of the country. The Capital Complex at Dhaka (1965- after Kahn’s death in 1974) is a powerful symbol for Bangladesh that appears even on postage stamps and on the backs of rickshaws. The large assembly hall is surrounded by a mosque and meeting rooms of square and cylindrical towers that also give shade and cooling air flows. Buildings for living quarters compose a geometry of spaces that build up to the most powerful monumentality of the capital that is surrounded by water in the rainy season, defining and enhancing that island of monumentality.

ORDER: The design translates hierarchy and order with the assembly chamber having the largest volume space, supported by servant spaces at diagonals to the east and west of the building. A man made lake, which the spaces face softens the rigid order of the building, as it separates them from the secretariat.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

51

Figure 40: outer to inner order of spaces

Figure 41: centrality of main space

Figure 42: The monumental effect reflected on the staircases

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

52

The Philips Exeter Academy Library CENTRALITY: The library takes centrality differently. The most intimate space which is the reader’s cubicle is situated on the outer ring of the floor plan. The book shelves are intermediate spaces situated in the inner ring of the floor plan (figure 43).

However the common and largest space is the atrium placed right in the middle to act as an invitation and statement of the building. Hence its spatial engagement is expanded from inside out. A different approach to library design.

ORDER: The massive circular subtraction showcases the scale of the building as the facade of books narrate its function. The foremost aspect of the exterior of the Salk Institute is its reinforced concrete construction. Viewing the North or South elevations, repetition of five monolithic rectilinear forms evokes images of classical columns. The size and imposing forms evoke the order and hierarchy feel.

Additionally, the centrality of the plan reflects an embracing of certain pre-modern ideas.

Figure 43: personal reading to the centralized atrium

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

53

The Salk Institute MONUMENTALITY: Kahn’s Salk Institute partakes of timelessness (incorporating the Pacific Ocean as part of the experience of a monumental building) while embracing the eternal challenge of silence to meaning (figure 44). Everything which leads to such buildings results from decoding and manipulating ancient architectural symbols.

Figure 44: The adjacent building blocks create a monumental stand centralized by fountain

Scale - human, room, street The Philadelphia City Planning CENTRALITY: A city surrounded by massive cylindrical parking towers defends the center-which is called the "Forum"-from the onslaught of automobiles and the forces of decentralization that threatened human interaction. The historicism is evinced by the gateway towers, which explicitly recall ancient monuments such as the Roman Colosseum in various states of decay. Buildings in a variety of archetypal geometric forms populate the city center (figure 45). Centralization of buildings and activities, supports a clear ordering of streets and traffic, thus meaningful urban life be preserved.

MONUMENTALITY: Components of the civic centre comes from the city’s organic structure. The circular parking towers an order of stop and go from the order of SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

50

movement. Commercial Centres from the order of the business. City core, city hall from the order of institutions.(Goldhagen, 2001). The idealistic goal is the manifestation of the essence of human civilization through the evocation of timelessness

in

monumental

building

(Reed,1989,p.

280).

The

need

for

monumentality to anchor a social presence in the same way as in ancient cities. The form of Central Philadelphia was the new monumental axis along the east-west side of Market Street, and provocatively, an intense double-sided linear assembly of cylindrical (silos) structures, a truncated pyramid, tubular towers and a space frame city tower along Market Street.

ORDER: The traffic Study is a carefully ordered conceptual plan. In an effort to untangle traffic congestion and to mitigate the haphazard proliferation of parking lots that plagued postwar American cities, The streets are reordered according to a functional hierarchy. The system corresponds to different tempos of traffic, such as the stop-and-go movement of trucks and buses , the fast flow of vehicles around the periphery, and the stasis of cars in parking garages (figure 46). Forms were rooted in abstract Platonic geometry and rich in historical allusion. Order instilled in the design that integrated structure, function, and the power of history in abstract universal and transcendent archetypes. This development is traced through two essential and conflicting themes in his urban strategy. The "order of movement" (streets and parking) and the civic center (man's eternal social need embodied in urban institutions and open spaces).

Figure 45: The centralized tower creates a monumental landmark for the city

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

51

Figure 46: The order of the car park surrounding the tower as the parking bays surround a common ground.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

52

4.2.2 Summary Also known as Serve vs. Service, or Served vs. Servant spaces, it is basically the separation and definition of the distinct characteristics of spaces. Kahn prevents the creation of a homogeneous combination of two types of spaces, adding a further sense of order to the overall composition. In Kahn’s interpretation of this concept, servant spaces are generally those that contain the elements in which habitation would be brief/impossible, or spaces that contain mechanical, or purely functional, aspects (figure 47).

Elements/

Centrality

Monumentality

Order

-The main bath house is

-The main structure has

- The services are

in the centre with

the largest space

servant spaces with the

services arranged

compared to the

main bath house as the

around it

neighbouring structures

served space

- Interestingly the

- The brickwork

- The house main

staircase is centralized

staircase exerts

spaces are served by the

in the house

monumentality of the

middle staircase as the

house

servant space

Case Studies Trenton Jewish house

Margaret Esherick House

The Dhaka National

The main auditorium is

The main atrium sits in

The main atrium is

Assembly

centralized with

a double volume tubular

supported by secondary

secondary offices

structure to create

offices surrounding it

surrounding it

monumentality

The Philips Exeter

The atrium sits in the

The double volumne

The open space sits in

Library

middle with the shelves

atrium creates

the middle as book

arranged around it

monumentality for users

shelves surrounds it

who saunter it

with seating area creates the outer most layer

The Philadelphia City

The main tower is

The tallest structure

The tower is

Planning

centralized in the town

creates a signpost for

surrounded by

planning

the township

secondary buildings such as the carpark and roads

Table 2 : Explanation table for figure 47b

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

53

PHILOSOPHY

| PROJECTS |

ELEMENTS

Figure 47b : Analyzed philosophies with respective architectural elements for Servant and Served

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

54

4.3 PHILOSOPHY : SILENCE AND LIGHT “Nothingness mattered to him… silence mattered to him… the enigma of light mattered to him” (Tyng, 1984 p. 55) The theory of silence and light exemplifies the origin of creative expression within the human mind. Within the content of this idea, Kahn had seen light as the meaning of expression given by nature, and silence as a desire of expression welling up from the collective unconscious. “Nothingness mattered to him… silence mattered to him… the enigma of light mattered to him”.The points of their meeting create the inspiration that lead to the creation of work in art (Tyng, 1984).

The idea of silence and light revolves around the usage of shading devices (applied device), expressive atriums and creative exploration of skylight (figure 48).

The philosophy of silence and light evokes intimate emotions between a user and a building by creating an engaging space. “Greek architecture taught me that the column is where the light is not, and the space between is where the light is. It is a matter of no-light, light, no-light, light. A column and a column bring light between them. 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.”“The outside belongs to the sun and on the inside people live and work. In order to avoid protection from the sun I invented the idea of a deep intrados that protects the cool shadow.”

(Kahn, 1977).

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

55

Figure 48 : The usage of shading devices to express light and shadow

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

56

4.3.1 Case Studies Scale - human, room The Yale University Art Gallery SKYLIGHT: At the Yale Art Gallery, a light joint is created at the roof above the triangular stair within a cylinder (figure 49). The protective woven wire mesh at the stair rails, although very strong, appears to be almost dissolved in light.

APPLIED DEVICES: The close-packed tetrahedron/octahedron geometry of the Yale Art Gallery ceiling embodies the concept of a „breathing ceiling�. A view of the framework demonstrates the hollows that harbor a network of heating/cooling ducts and multiple lighting sources, all with continuously accessible controls. The symbolism of the geometry can be found in the Pythagorean concept of the five Platonic solids as the shape of the smallest particles of fire, air, earth, water, and the cosmos. The tetrahedron (fire) with the octahedron (air) are the sources of lighting, heating and cooling. It breaks the direct sunlight and acts as a shading device while allowing enough natural light to fill in.

ATRIUMS: The atriums have heavy concrete blocks cutting the natural light and dispersing it into the building. Allowing a sense of spirituality in the gallery, the atriums functions efficiently to create a humbling experience.

Figure 49 : The light effect on the surrounding wall

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

57

Trenton Jewish Community Centre - Bath House SKYLIGHT: At the Trenton Bath House, the roofs appear to float above the columns, although they are supported by delicate steel bearings embedded in the concrete caps on the hollow columns. The space between the roofs and columns is a light joint in the vertical plane when the roof edge is lined up with the walls (figure 50). The walls are beyond the roof’s edge making the light joints as skylights. There are also square openings at the apex of the hipped roofs.

ATRIUMS: The bath house is married by four roofed spaces while the middle is left open to the sky. This becomes the atrium of the space, infusing natural light into the supporting four spaces. Hence the most basic interpretation of an atrium

Figure 50 : The light penetrating in between the opening slit of the structure.

The Kimbell Art Museum SKYLIGHT: In the Kimbell Museum has shadow joints occurring between the concrete structure and the travertine infill, between steel window frames and the concrete walls, between interior door frames and their panel infills. Light joints occur between the cycloid curves of the vaults and the beautifully tensioned infill curves at the wall ends of the vaults. The courtyards are very large light joints. The dominant light joints are 100-ft long cleavages in the vaults which are thereby split into cantilevers from the side walls. Direct light is allowed through small perforations, SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

58

and most of the natural light is reflected onto the ceiling where the cycloid curve distributes it dynamically (in contrast with the semicircular curve that only reflects to a center point). Although the sun’s ultraviolet rays are known to be damaging to art treasures, tests at Kimbell confirm the safety of its use of natural light (figure 51).

Figure 51: The light diffusing and flowing into the art gallery

The Indian Institute Of Management APPLIED DEVICES: The large facade omissions are abstracted patterns found within the Indian culture that were positioned to act as light wells and a natural cooling system protecting the interior from India’s harsh desert climate. Even though the porous, geometric facade acts as filters for sunlight and ventilation, the porosity allowed for the creation of new spaces of gathering for the students and faculty to come together (figure 52).

Figure 52 : The direct opening creating playful shadows on the wall

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

59

Scale - human, room The Dhaka National Assembly SKYLIGHT: The National Assembly adorns circular skylights around the structure to allow passive lighting in the main assembly area. The layers of platonic geometric shapes create random play of light and shadow that changes every hour of the day reflecting the sun’s movement.

APPLIED DEVICES: The final roof structure was designed as an umbrella form (hyperbolic paraboloid) which spans the octagon of the Assembly Hall on extremely fragile-seeming support points. The periphery between the walls and the paraboloid dome becomes “ring of light”. To provide more light for the Assembly Hall, however they are covered by white textile strips to prevent glare.

ATRIUMS: The minor units are also multilateral, admitting light through geometric cutouts in their solid (figure 53), forbidding walls which suggest an austere, overpowering image of a fortress enclosed by rings of walls and towers. Kahn in his mature work used masonry (especially reinforced concrete) almost exclusively for their massive, rugged qualities.

Figure 53 : The circular opening invokes a monumental effect within its interior.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

60

The Philips Exeter Academy Library SKYLIGHT: The facade of the buildings provide natural lighting into the building as well as the dispersed skylights around the building from the atrium emphasizing on the soft natural light engaging the readers with an intimate space (figure 54).

ATRIUMS: The cross beams at the clerestory windows above the atrium is massive/ Carter Wiseman says, "While they appear to be—and indeed are—structural, they are far deeper than necessary; their no-less-important role was to diffuse the sunlight coming in from the surrounding clerestory windows and reflect it down into the atrium.

Figure 54: The thick beam slits allows light to penetrate and create ambience

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

61

The Philadelphia Psychiatric Hospital, Samuel Radbill Building APPLIED DEVICES: The strip windows were used for the openings and ventilation was provided by pivoting open the top-hung windows from the bottom out ward. To protect the strip windows from direct sunlight, the slab is extended on both south and west sides and hollowed inside with wooden cubes (figure 55). These light filters are created in such a dimension that at particular times of the day and only a fraction of sunlight will fall on the facade and create an interesting pattern of light on the window surfaces.

Figure 55 : The elongated blocks allow controlled penetration of light

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

62

The Salk Institute APPLIED DEVICES: Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, has the great court that connect directly with the Pacific Ocean. Its narrow channel of water becomes a light joint by day and a shadow joint by night, as it disappears into the Pacific. The landscape architect Luis Barragan called the Salk court a facade to the sky.� The vertical structural walls (figure 56) also function as a light breaker with its diagonal arrangement along the institute.

Figure 56 : The slanted load bearing walls create unique shadows over corridor

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

60

4.3.2 Summary The idea of silence and light is well narrated by breaking it down into its architectural components. The idea of monumentality, centrality and hollowness creates many opportunities for the atrium to be a strong language of natural lighting.

These experiments spatial engagement of a large space to a very human and intimate scale. With the implementation of bold geometrical shapes allows creative explorations of skylights. While ideas of symmetry improve the importance of atriums, and natural light flooding into the building, creates intimacy for the user.

The idea of natural light humanizes bold and rigid spaces .Thus, natural lighting evokes spatial engagement by creating character and exploring emotions in a building. It narrates accordingly to the scale of the building. However so, it humanizes any type of space and engages users to their space (figure 57).

Components/

Skylight

Atrium

Applied Shading Device

Trenton Jewish

The opening allows

The main bath house

The extended roof acts as a

house

natural light

creates an open atrium

shading device

Case Studies

for users The Yale

The open staircase tube

The University has

Extruded ventilation blocks act

University

behaves as skylight

closed atriumns

as shading device

The Kimbell

The linear half domes

The centre of the

The designed shading device

Art Museum

have openings that act as

museum encloses an

softens sunlight instead of

skylights

atrium

blocking it

The Indian

The circular openings act

The Open atriums

The exterior wall with circular

Management

as skylights

surrounded by corridors

openings act as shading device

Institution

to main building

The Dhaka

The skylight supported

The skylight sits on the

The circular openings act as

National

by beams allow clear

main atrium

shading device

Assembly

sunlight

The Philips

The skylight supported

The skylight sits on the

The circular openings act as

Exeter

by beams allow clear

main atrium

shading device

Library

sunlight

The Radbill

The skylight is created by

The shading device is created

Building

the shading device

by the elongated ventilation blocks on the corridor roof

The Salk

heavy concrete blocks as

The atrium along the

The heavy concrete blocks act

Institute

vertical shading device

staircases

as vertical shading device

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

Table 3 : Explanation table for figure 57b

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

61

PHILOSOPHY

| PROJECTS|

ELEMENTS

Figure 57b : Analyzed philosophies with respective architectural elements for Silence and Light

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

62

CHAPTER 5 - DISCUSSION 5.1 OVERVIEW As per findings it can be deduced that Louis Kahn expressed spatial engagement through three key philosophies namely Form & Design, Servant & Served and Silence & Light. The key philosophies are a response to architectural criteria of archetypes, function and nature to express spatial engagement. Each philosophy have their own components.. These components ensure the holistic approach to a design that ensures it as an user engaging design.

With the inclusion of elements such as geometry, symmetry, hollowness, usage of exposed materials, centrality, monumentality, order, skylights, atriums and shading devices, Kahn moulds his buildings into a spatially engaging design.

The table 4 below arranges each philosophy with mentioned elements and categorizes each project based on its scale of implementation. This shows how most of his works uses these important elements in creating spatial engaging designs.

However based on the case studies and literature review, it is also noted that all of his works compliments all three philosophies. With the balance and usage of each philosophy, creates the spatial engagement that Kahn’s buildings offer. The following sub chapter elaborates on the relationship between each philosophy and dissects how they are implemented in his designs.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

63

Table 4: Overview of Relationship between Architectural Elements with Scale

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

64

5.2 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHILOSOPHIES. Each philosophy is linked to one another with a relationship of composition, component and scale to achieve a holistic spatial engagement for a better social collective (figure 58). It is synthesized that Louis Kahn achieved successful spatial engagement by interlinking each of his philosophies together. By stitching the three ideas carefully with the arrangement of forms (composition), exploring types of forms and its make (components) and also the size of its implementation whether a small space for one person or a large civic building for a community (scale), he managed to create a spatial narration that continuously engages its users to the architecture.

The synthesis explores the criteria achieved by combining each of the philosophies and what constitutes in achieving a successful spatial design personal to the user pertaining to the ideas of Louis Kahn. A set of ideas are noted in this paper that evokes the sense of belonging and spiritual satisfaction towards architecture amongst the public realm.

SPATIAL ENGAGEMENT

SPATIAL ENGAGEMENT

COMPOSITION Silence & Light Servant & Served

SCALE Form & Design Servant & Served

COMPONENTS Form & Design Silence & Light

Figure 58 : Achieving spatial engagement

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

65

5.3 SYNTHESIZING PHILOSOPHIES TO SPATIAL NARRATION

Figure 59 : Co -relation of Louis Kahn philosophies with Architect’s Perception showing the three important elements

Figure 59 discusses the relationship between Louis Kahn’s philosophies and a synthesized guideline formed from the literature review and case studies. Kahn termed his design philosophies specific to the ideas of expressing, Romanticizing and classicising a space. The general idea of Kahn was to create a space with character and identity that adheres to principles and values of architecture by evoking intimacy and emotions of its users.

The idea can be themed under the said three keywords as a response to Modernism’s side effect of creating mass produced spaces that lack interaction to the human collective. Therefore it is understood that by mapping Louis Kahn’s philosophies in a synthesized matrix, a more generalized and clearer matrix can be deduced from both case studies and literature review to understand how a space can be designed that engages for the public.

Hence can the generalized terms be implemented in a similar framework as Louis Kahn’s design philosophies? The study states the criteria a space needs to achieve in three generalized terminologies and how it is related to each other in order to achieve a successful spatial engagement for the social order.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

66

5.4 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GENERALIZED SPATIAL NARRATION

SPATIAL ENGAGEMENT

SPATIAL ENGAGEMENT

COMPOSITION

SCALE

COMPONENTS

Romanticize & Expressionism

Classicism & Romanticize

Expressionism & Classicism

Figure 60 : Generalized Matrix narrating spatial engagement.

“How marvelous that when in a room with another soon the mountains, trees, wind, and the rain leave us for the mind and the room becomes a world in itself.” (Kahn, 1972 p.19) The above matrix describes the generalized terminologies depicted from literature review and case studies to synthesis Louis Kahn’s design philosophies that would be a clear guideline or designers and architects to use as a better understanding pertaining to spatial engagement (figure 60).

Classicising reflects the philosophy of Form and Design. The term is defined as having clear separation parts with bold, geometric, and symmetrical approaches. The principles and values of architecture is noted as an important reflection in a space. By appreciating and giving importance to every component that makes up a space a space can be made user specific.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

67

Romanticizing reflects the idea of Silence and Light. The term is defined as having spaces that mimic the main function and mimicked by form to provide order. The idea is to reflect emotions and intimacy of a user throughout a space immaterial of its function. Hence spaces becomes the poetry and the users become the poet. It is synthesized that the play of natural light in a space with a variety of spatial composition, can successfully explore this idea.

Expressing reflects the idea of Servant and Served. The term is defined as the usage of exposed materials incorporating technology and infusing light to create character. The idea is a showcase of identity and character of a space to its users. A space may develop its own personal characteristics pertaining to its function.

A space when combined with other spaces on different scale, may evoke an identity that reflects the character of its users. The idea emphasizes that engaging a user to space can be done on various scales. When a space has a character and identity it evokes a sense of belonging and a spiritual satisfaction to the users.

These relationship (Table 5) between these terms are scale, component and composition similar to the earlier Louis Kahn’s philosophy matrix to achieve a holistic spatial engagement.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

68

Table 5 : Expressing relationship between Case studies and terminologies pertaining to ideas of spatial engagement

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

69

CHAPTER 6 - CONCLUSION 6.1 OVERVIEW The dissertation studies on the issue of disengaging spaces, that hinders a sense of belonging , a sense of identity and a sense of place among users. The dissertation tries to understand a fraction of the larger issue - why architecture is not reflecting the said values ?. It is studied that the issue surfaced during world war II, when the architectural movement - modernism came to play focusing on optimization, efficiency and economy.

As an efficient architectural movement, it carried a side effect too. When efficiency, economy and optimization were no longer the key drive for architecture, the side effect of spatial disengagement became apparent, as elaborated in the introduction chapter. Late Modernism however, was the architectural movement that took into consideration of this issue and began addressing it. Many architects tackled the issue, each having a very unique and specific approach to it. The gap was found when no general guidelines were present to adhere to.

Hence, this paper focused on generating a general guideline by studying one Late modernist architect. His philosophies were analyzed, his methods were synthesized and the outcome was tabulated to be used as a guide for future designers, architects, educators and scholars pertaining to spatial engagement and its importance.

Literature Review on the architect by other authors and the architect’s personal statements were explored to understand the philosophies and the architectural elements the architect followed pertaining to certain architectural aspects.

Case studies on the architect’s design works were analyzed based on the literature review to understand the methods of application. The relationship between the aspects, elements and philosophies were mapped into a matrix. Hence, the generic idea of the architect in answering the issue of spatial engagement is synthesized from the findings and mapped into a generalized matrix and narrative to answer the main research question.

The one particular Late Modernist architect - Louis Kahn was chosen for his vast experience, design works, scale of works, availability of reading materials and as well as his success on addressing the issue. Louis Kahn was a modernist architect SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

70

until his transitional years where the human collective was very much taken into consideration. The users engagement to a space to create spiritual satisfaction was deeply explored by Louis Kahn. Louis Kahn is notable for his expressive architecture that strictly adheres to his design philosophies. His philosophies are analyzed from journals and books by other authors as well. Therefore, by studying the design philosophies of Louis Kahn, the paper is able to map a relationship table that is further translated into generalized matrix as a spatial engagement guideline.

6.2 FINDINGS TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING SPATIAL ENGAGEMENT The findings from the literature review and case studies suggest that Louis kahn created spatial engagement by adhering to three core personal philosophies reflecting these three aspects in architecture - archetypes, function and nature. Louis Kahn explores spatial engagement through archetypes with the philosophy of Form and Design. The philosophy based on literature review and case studies, consists of four architectural elements - geometry, symmetry, hollow column concept, and materials.

The combination of basic geometric shapes are reflected on the floor plans, sections and elevations. This ensures economical and efficient take on each of his project keeping true to the values and principles of modernism and architecture. Each building has an expressive symmetry that becomes the key axis of circulation. It invokes character and identity of spaces in his projects. The hollow column concept is expressed with atriums and commonly becomes the heart piece of his buildings.

The void space creates monumentality and hierarchy often expressing the main functioning space. Finally each of the element is finished by materials in their exposed state, allowing honest usage of materials. Each cement render, exposed red brick work, heavy concrete slabs fosters intimacy and emotions between man and building by expressing the finest details at the human scale.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

71

6.2.1 Form & Design to Classicising The idea of Form and Design is generalized as the idea of classicising.

Classicising here is the attempt to reintroduce some of the features of greco-roman architecture (classicism), without losing the values and principles of modernism of efficiency and economy. The term is carefully chosen as it is repeatedly mentioned and associated with Louis Kahn and his works. Classicising is about the translation of principles and values of previous architecture movements in regards to spatial engagement.

Therefore, Louis Kahn’s design philosophy of Form and Design explores archetypes with the use of architectural elements of geometry, symmetry, hollow column, and materials to translate a successful spatial engagement to users. This idea can be classified as classicising to define principles and values of spatial engagement.

It is studied that the idea of Classicising linked to the idea of Romanticizing through exploring scale and linked to the idea of Expressing through efficient usage of components results in a holistic translation of successful spatial engagement.

Archetypes > Form and Design > Geometry, Symmetry, Hollow Column, Materials > Classicising > Principles and Values

6.2.2 Servant & Served to Expressing He expresses function using the philosophy of Servant and Served. The architectural elements include, order, centrality and monumentality. With the order of main spaces supported by servant spaces, whereby the central space functions as the main space and the inclusion of hierarchy to instil monumentality allows a clear translation of spatial engagement among users. Louis Kahn explores spatial engagement through functions with the philosophy of Servant and Served. The philosophy based on literature review and case studies, consists of three architectural elements - order, centrality and monumentality.

Order is reflected with the assembly of spaces where the main functioning space is surrounded by its supporting spaces. This ensures the identity of the building remain pivotal in its design. Centrality is expressed through symmetry and the geometrical designs in which the circulation is eased towards well defining axis of SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

72

the buildings. This defines the character of the building clear to its users elucidating a strong spatial engagement among its users.

Monumentality with the aid of atriums and the hollow column concept as well as bold use of geometrical shapes creates character. Most of the case studies are identified as monumental hence creating a strong character. This is further expressed in the interiors of the building that elucidates spatial engagement with its users. By adhering to the principles and values of architecture, These elements help foster character and identity within a building’s design that engages users to the spaces created.

The idea of Servant and Served is generalized as the idea of expressing.

Expressing is the term to convey a thought or a feeling through architecture by expressing character and identity of a functioning space. The term is carefully chosen as it is repeatedly mentioned and associated with Louis Kahn and his works.

Expressing is the idea of showcasing character and identity whilst adhering to architectural principles and values and supported by intimacy and emotions of a functional space to engage its users.

Therefore, Louis Kahn’s design philosophy of Servant and Served explores functions with the use of architectural elements of order, centrality and monumentality to translate a successful spatial engagement to users. This idea can be classified as expressing to define principles and values of spatial engagement. It is studied that the idea of Expressing linked to the idea of Romanticizing through composition of space and linked to the idea of Classicising through efficient usage of components results in a holistic translation of successful spatial engagement.

Function > Servant and Served

> Order, Centrality, Monumentality >

Expressing > Character and Identity

6.2.3 Silence & Light to Romanticizing He expresses nature through his philosophy of Silence and Light, an idea evolved with passive natural lighting. The architectural elements involved in expressing this philosophy is skylights, atriums and applied devices. Louis Kahn explored many shading devices and devices that manipulate sunlight into a building.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

70

He ensures his buildings have large atriums and skylights to allow the penetration of sunlight whilst creating shadows in specific points of the building. Thus allowing him to engage users to their spaces with constant change within the walls of the building.

Translating nature is the softer means of exploring spatial engagement. The efficient usage and explorations of skylights, atriums and shading devices allow in creative play of light and shadow. Some devices diffuses natural sunlight into passive ambience that creates a poetic and peaceful engagement between space and man.

Other shading devices emphasizes on creating bold shadows part of a space to create a strong feeling and narration of space to a user. Skylights are often creative and unique to each building adhering to common principles and values - creating an ambience to the users.

Museums have peaceful passive lighting whilst educational and governmental civic buildings houses bold and strong skylights. Atriums solidifies the elements of monumentality and the hollow column concept. Every atrium instills a different emotion and intimacy in comparison to other supporting spaces that houses skylights and applied devices. The fostering of natural light that are function specific like large skylights for civic buildings, passive ambience for museums and libraries, bold shading devices for thermal comfort in hospitals and atriums in most designs, are a way of respecting intimacy and emotions the spaces engage with its users.

The idea of Silence and Light is generalized as the idea of Romanticizing.

Romanticizing is the term to describe a space in an idealized fashion to engage users better and make a space more appealing with natural light. The term is carefully chosen as it is repeatedly mentioned and associated with Louis Kahn and his works.

Romanticizing is the idea of showcasing intimacy and emotions whilst adhering to architectural principles and values and supported by character and identity of a space engaged to its users with nature.

Therefore, Louis Kahn’s design philosophy of Silence and Light explores nature with the use of architectural elements of skylights, atriums and applied devices to translate a successful spatial engagement to users. This idea can be classified as Romanticizing ideals of intimacy and emotions to translate spatial engagement. It is studied that the idea of Romanticizing linked to the idea of Expressing through

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

71

composition of space and linked to the idea of Classicising through efficient expression of scale results in a holistic translation of successful spatial engagement.

Nature

>

Silence and Light

> Skylight, Atrium, Applied Devices

>

Romanticizing > Emotions and Intimacy

6.3 CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS SUCCESSFUL SPATIAL ENGAGEMENT What are the narrations of spatial engagement through form and space in the design philosophies of Louis Kahn?

The theory on achieving successful spatial engagement answers the research question of narrating spatial engagement with form and space. The gap is answered by creating an engaging strategy synthesized from Louis Kahn’s approach to spatial engagement towards spiritual satisfaction. The strategy of creating a user focused space, answers an architecture that continuously evokes a sense of belonging towards the public realm.

The paper deduces that users will constantly be engaged to a building immaterial of its function, have a sense of ownership and be positively connected to the architecture given that a space adheres to the studied criteria. The side effect of Modernism curbing the spiritual exploration of user and architecture is answered by adhering to the explored criteria without compromising the strengths in Modernism.

Hence without exploiting the efficiency, costing and optimization of architecture, intimacy, emotions, character, identity, principles and values can still be achieved. The poetics of architecture despite being the subtle side of architecture, is still considered pivotal in creating an architecture that responds to the public realm.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

72

6.4 RECOMMENDATIONS ON SUCCESSFUL SPATIAL ENGAGEMENT The paper has discussed the narrations of spatial engagement through form and space in Louis Kahn’s design philosophies. By expressing his design philosophies through architectural elements, Louis Kahn managed to translate spatial engagement with the relationship between each philosophy. These narrations are generalized as a matrix to grasp the idea of spatial engagement clearer.

These generalized terminologies reflected the values of a successful engaging space to its users. It is synthesized that a space needs to respect architectural values and principles, it needs to invoke emotions and intimacy and have its own character and identity. By doing so, the users are successfully engaged to a space, hence connecting architecture to users holistically.

These values in a space can be achieved by Romanticizing, expressing and classicizing a space with composition, components and scale. Designers are well equipped with the knowledge to push forward this ideas. By adhering to these criteria, a designer, architect or developer can easily translate an empty space into a meaningful space and allow a positive experience for a user and ensure spiritual satisfaction. Hence creating a successful architecture. Thus, the architecture that is efficient, economical and optimized is also socially, spiritually and spatially engaging.

Thank you.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

73

REFERENCES Anderson, B. (n.d.). Imagined communities.

ArchDaily. (2017). AD Classics: First Unitarian Church of Rochester / Louis Kahn. [online]

Available

at:

http://www.archdaily.com/84267/ad-classics-first-

unitarian-church-of-rochester-louis-kahn [Accessed 19 Sep. 2017].

Dogan, F. (2003). The role of conceptual diagrams in the architectural design process.

Goldhagen, S. (1995). Changing symbols of public life. Ann Arbor, Mich.: UMI Dissertation Services.

GreatBuildings. (2017). First Unitarian Church by Louis I. Kahn at GreatBuildings. [online]

Available

at:

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/First_Unitarian_Church..html [Accessed 19 Sep. 2017].

Jackson, D. (2000). Towards a social architecture of school success.

Kahn, L. (1998). Louis I. Khan. Houston, Tex.: Architecture at Rice.

Mancoridis, S. (1996). Controlling the interactions of architectural design components using scoping rules. Ottawa: National Library of Canada = BibliotheĂŒeque nationale du Canada.

Schaps, E., Battistich, V. and Solomon, D. (1997). School as a caring community: A key to character education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

William Scott, B. (1996). Perceptions about the role of architecture in education. 1st ed. Virginia: University of Virginia.

Chang, C. (1973). Louis I. Kahn. Tokyo: A + U. Fitzpatrick, A. Late modernism.

Kahn, L., & Johnson, N. (2012). Light is the theme. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press.

Leslie, T., & Kahn, L. (2005). Louis I. Kahn. New York: George Braziller.

Lobell, J., & Kahn, L. (2008). Between silence and light. Boston: Shambhala.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

74

James, S. B. (2010). Louis I. kahn: Towards an iconography of memory Dogan, F. (2003). The role of conceptual diagrams in the architectural design process: Case studies of the first unitarian church by Louis kahn, the staatsgalerie by stirling and wilford associates, and the jewish museum by daniel libeskind Solomon, S. G. (1997). Secular and spiritual humanism: Louis I. kahn's work for the jewish community in the 1950s and 1960s Burton, J. A. (1983). The Architectural Hieroglyphics Of Louis I. Kahn, Architecture As Logos Friedman, D. S. (1999). The sun on trial: Kahn's gnostic garden at salk Reed, P. S. (1989). Toward form: Louis I. kahn's urban designs for Philadelphia, 1939-1962 Senbabaoglu, B. (2004). Understanding lighting in architecture of Louis I. kahn Coleman, N. (2000). Inventing an exemplary architecture: The function of utopia in architectural imagination.

Islam, A. K. M. Z. (2004). Linear multimedia for form and geometry analysis: A case study of Louis I kahn's national assembly building.

SANJEEVARAO | 0330012

M.ARCH

TAYLOR'S UNIVERSITY

75