Louis I. Kahn: 1901-1974: Enlightened Space (Taschen Basic Architecture) [Paperback]

Joseph Rosa (Author)

Book Description

Series: Taschen Basic Architecture | Publication Date: June 1, 2006

Though Louis Isidore Kahn (1901-1974) started his career late in his life, the few projects he was able to undertake were realized to perfection. With the Jonas Salk Institute in La Jolla, California (1959-1965) Kahn created a workspace with superb functional and aesthetic qualities; the institute's Minimalist elements radiate a sense of eternal beauty. The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth (1966-1972) occupies the somewhat faceless city like an island of spiritual space, an effect that is achieved by simplicity in design and materials. Also, the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad (1962-1974) and the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, National Assembly of Bangladesh in Dhaka that was finished after his death are buildings of monumental importance, demonstrating the vision of a talented and very unusual man. This book brings together 17 Kahn projects, ranging from private housing to commercial architecture, religious buildings, exhibition spaces, and government buildings.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Basic Architecture features: • Each title contains approximately 120 images, including photographs, sketches, drawings, and floor plans • Introductory essays explore the architect’s life and work, touching on family and background as well as collaborations with other architects • The body presents the most important works in chronological order, with descriptions of client and/or architect wishes, construction problems (why some projects were never executed), and resolutions • The appendix includes a list of complete or selected works, biography, bibliography and a map indicating the locations of the architect’s most famous buildings

About the Author

Joseph Rosa is the John H. Bryan Curator of Architecture and Design at The Art Institute of Chicago. He is the author of numerous publications and has taught at Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI_ARC), the California College of the Arts, The College of Environmental Design at the University of California in Berkeley, and the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Taschen (June 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822836419
• ISBN-13: 978-3822836415
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,090,929 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Low Price Ticket to an Architect's Life Work, September 25, 2006

By 

Marco Antonio Abarca (Colorado) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Louis I. Kahn: 1901-1974: Enlightened Space (Taschen Basic Architecture) (Paperback)

Although I am a fan of Modern Architecture, I have never really understood why Louis Kahn was one of the great architects of the Twentieth Century. His buildings have never really appealed to me. They stike me as very dense and way too serious. Kahn's embrace of "monumentality", strikes me as antithetical to Modernist thought.

I purchased "Louis Kahn: 1901-1974" because at $9.99 this book is a low risk investment. It is published by the German Publishing Company, Taschen. This imprint produce some of the finest books currently being published about architecture. Typical of the Basic Architecture Series, the book is very well written and includes beautiful photos of the architect's best buildings. It is hard to believe that such an attractive book sells at such a reasonable price.

I am still not a fan of Kahn's buildings but I now have a better understanding of why he is considered one of the most important architects of the Twentieth Century. This book is a good purchase for anyone trying to understand the forces that shaped the practice of architecture during the past fifty years. A good value and highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I second that: a bargain price to enjoy Kahn's architecture., November 2, 2009

By 

J. S. Hernandez (El Salvador) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Louis I. Kahn: 1901-1974: Enlightened Space (Taschen Basic Architecture) (Paperback)

This book has very good textual descriptions. It is one of the best books in the series. It's an introduction, but it works pretty well, with comprhensive text and many color pictures to enjoy. It has approximately 57 color pictures versus 23 B&W ones, excluding floorplans and other presntation work, and the photos of the architect. You get to understand Kahn from this book; it's effectively concise. It presents, first, an introduction about his work, explaining some parts of his life and his main ideas. Then the selected works, each one with photographs and brief descriptions. In the end, a timeline-format biography is given. Very good book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exellent Series, January 9, 2007

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B. G. Rae (Perth, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Louis I. Kahn: 1901-1974: Enlightened Space (Taschen Basic Architecture) (Paperback)

Full marks to TASCHEN for the BASIC ARCHITECTURE series. The small format, clear text/layout/photography make them visually pleasing and well worth revisiting often. I am buying one each month.