Tiffany Perez New Design High School
June 19, 2007 Summer Architect Class
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Louis Kahn was a Jewish architect. His original name was Ilze-Leib Schmiutowshy and was born in Kuressaare on the Estonia Island of Saaremaa in 1906. At the age of three his face was badly burned leaving him scarred for the rest of his life. When he was four years old his father a soldier, left to the United States because the family was scared that he was going to get drafted to the Russo- Japanese War again. Two years later the rest of the family left to the United States to join their father. They lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He became a citizen on May 15, 1914. He was born into a poor Jewish family that at times they weren’t able to afford any food to feed the family at all. Louis Kohn’s father name was Leopold Kahn. He was a Jewish artisan in stained glass and a literate man that was gifted in many languages. He mothers name was Bertha Mandelsohn. Being raised in Philadelphia was what made him open his eyes to a new world or escape for him. When in school he grew an interest in poetry and drawing. Teachers were amazed at this young child’s work.
When Louis went to Central High School of Philadelphia he took a course on architecture and figured that it was his life passion and went to college to complete his goals. When college came around the corner he declined a four-year scholarship to Pennsylvania Academy of Art to go to the University of Pennsylvania so he can study his passion. Graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 1924 he moved on into working in many design firms as a draftsman. He wasn’t one that could stick to something for to long so he decided to go to Europe in 1928 for one year to study ancient classical European art. Twenty years later Louis became a professor at Yale University and as his studies progressed while teaching others he became interested in the creation of buildings using heavy solid materials, the description of light against the materials of steel and light weight structure. Louis Kahn has created building known as, The Yale Art Gallery, The Richard Medical Laboratories, The Salk Institute, and The Kimbell Art Museum. These are just some of Louis Kahn’s many designs made in his time.
One of his most famous structures was the Salk Institute, which was created in 1955 to 1966 in La Jolla California. This design was made of concrete, marble, wood and water. This institute is elegantly detailed and its abstract modern shapes are all formed by symmetry. This building still stands as a medical center in California.
Louis style of building was called brutalism, which is a form of style that was from the mid-20th century by monolithic forms. This style in made of concrete being poured, and a large amount of exterior decoration. His work was gladly appreciated and fascinated by many people around the world. This is why he is known today as the most important architectures of the 20th century. Another piece of his art works was a fountain built in the center of the Salk Institute. It was a fountain that was made to light up at the sun was going down. This was also an amazing work of art because it was something that can catch a person’s eye and wonder what he was thinking when he was designing it. Louis Kohn was one that liked to build his buildings near bodies of water rather then putting fountains. But this fountain was placed to echo the body of water where the institute was facing.
Louis Kohn died on March 17 of 1974 in the bathroom of Pennsylvania Station in New York City due to a heart attack. Early before his death he Louis designed the Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The design began being constructed in 1962 and was completed in 1974. This building is one of the largest legislatives complexes in the world and it houses all the eight parliamentary activities of Bangladesh.
Parliament History
http://www.answers.com/topic/jatiyo-sangshad-bhaban
Seven Parliaments, including the currently incumbent one led by Begum Khaleda Zia as the Prime Minister, have used the Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban as the assembly building. A list of all the past Parliaments follows:
1.First Parliament: 2 years 6 months (7th April, 1973 - 6th November, 1975) held by Awami League
2. Second Parliament: 2 years 11 months (2nd April, 1979 - 24th March, 1982) held by Bangladesh Nationalist Party
3. Third Parliament: 1 year 5 months (10th July, 1986 - 6th December, 1987) held by Jatiya Party
4. Fourth Parliament: 2 years 7 months (15th April, 1988 - 6th December, 1990) held by Jatiya Party
5. Fifth Parliament: 4 years 8 months (5th April, 1991 - 24th November, 1995) held by Bangladesh Nationalist Party
6. Sixth Parliament: 12 days (19th March, 1996 - 30th March, 1996) held by Bangladesh Nationalist Party
7. Seventh Parliament: 5 years (14th July, 1996 - 13th July, 2001) held by Awami League
8. Eighth Parliament: (28th October, 2001 - 27th October, 2006) held by Four-party Alliance led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party
All of these parliaments are in this building where there have been eight national elections. The Jatiyo’s total construction is a total of 200 acres that includes lakes and residence for the members of the parliament. The total cost of this entire site was $1.29 billion ($1,290,000,000).
Through this structure Louis Kahn wanted to represent the heritage and culture of Bangladesh. The exterior design is made of very large geometric shapes. The columns in the building are used because as Louis Kahn says “they give the building light.”
Louis Kahn completed his life with the joy of fulfilling his dreams and goals that he has had as a child. Through the struggles with family and growing up in a family that wasn't so wealthy but he over came all of his obstacles. The control of life before it takes control of you. Accomplish your goals and put your dreams into actions so they wouldn’t just be something you dreamed about. Your ideas can be someone else’s future.
Bangladesh’s National Parliament, also known as the Jatiyo Sangsahd Bhaban.
Close up of Bangladesh’s National Parliament.
Front view of National Parliament.
Louis Kohn
Yale University Art Gallery.
Stalk Institute
