Louis Kahn
Architect of the Salk Institute and the Bangladesh parliament
Born 1901 · Died 1974
Photo: Francalb89 · CC BY-SA 4.0
«You say to a brick, 'What do you want, brick?' And brick says to you, 'I like an arch.'»
Louis Kahn built heavy, quiet buildings out of concrete, brick and daylight, and is regarded as one of the most important architects of the twentieth century. His masterpiece, the national parliament of Bangladesh, was finished nine years after his death.
Key achievements
- Designed the Salk Institute and the Kimbell Art Museum
- Designed the national parliament complex of Bangladesh
Universities
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Took his architecture degree at Penn in 1924 and returned as a professor from 1955 until his death.
New Haven, Connecticut
Taught at the Yale School of Architecture in the early 1950s and designed its art gallery.
Facts
- He famously asked what a brick wanted to be, and answered his own question: an arch.
- He died of a heart attack in a lavatory at Penn Station in New York and was not identified for two days.
- His son made a documentary about searching for his father's life, My Architect, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
Photographs
Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are shown on each image.