COURSE TITLE: Contemporary Architecture L -3 T -0 P -0 Cr 3

COURSE CODE: ARC316

CA CATEGORY: A23
EXAM CATEGORY: 55
WEEK NO.: 1 LECTURE NO. # 2

LECTURE DETAIL :

POST MODERN ARCHITECTURE

(LOUIS I. KAHN)

COURSE INSTRUCTOR: PRATIBHA GAMBHIR

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE

CONTENT TOPIC: INTRODUCTION

 NAME:- Louis Isadora Kahn

 OCCUPATION:- Architect

 BORN :- February 20, 1901

 DIED :- March 17, 1974

 EDUCATION:- Universityof Pennsylvania

"You can never learn anything that is

not a part of yourself."

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 2 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: INTRODUCTION

Philosophy

BUILDING = HUMAN

WILL TO BE
DESIRE TO BE
WILL TO EXPRESS

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 2 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: KAHN’S PHILOSPHY

Kahn’s Style
 Kahn's architecture is notable for its simple, forms and compositions.
 Kahn design of buildings, characterized by powerful, massive forms.
 Through the use of brick and poured-in place concrete masonry, he developed a
contemporary and monumental architecture that maintained sympathy for the site
and did not loose its proportion.
 Louis Kahn's work infused International style with a highly personal taste, poetry
of light and exposing the materials without altering.

ARCHITECTURE IS THE THOUGHTFUL MAKING OF SPACES

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 2 Slide No.
CONTENT TOPIC: KAHN’S PHILOSPHY

SERVANT & SERVED SPACE

‘I do not like ducts; I do not like pipes. I hate them really

thoroughly, but because I hate them so thoroughly, I feel
they have to be given their place. If I just hated them and
took no care, I think they would invade the building and
completely destroy it.’
-LOUIS I KAHN
LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 2 Slide No.
CONTENT TOPIC: KAHN’S PHILOSPHY

LIGHT
 His work contains many examples of indoor and outdoor
rooms conducive to meditation.
 Structure, space and light are fused.
 Kahn uses a Modernist abstraction to contain a complex
content, even sometimes to suggest a metaphysical void.
 His work escapes stylistic categories, sometimes touching
archetypal levels in experience.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, DHAKA IIM, AHEMDABAD

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 2 Slide No.

IIM Ahemedabad

Year of completion : 1963

Chief Architect : Louis I. Khan
B.V Doshi
Anant Raje
Site Area : 66 Acres
Building :Contemporary style
CONTENT TOPIC: IIM, AHEMDABAD

HISTORY OF IIM
While Louis Kahn was designing the National Assembly Building in Bangladesh  in 1962, he
was approached by an admiring Indian architect, Balkrishna Doshi, to design the 66 acre
campus for the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, India

LOCATION

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: INTRODUCTION

SITE PLAN

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: CAMPUS LAYOUT

 Separate entries for institutional and residential complex.

 Separate service entry.
 Academics and social activities have been integrated with students
and staff living.
 Institutional Complex is taken as Focal Building.
 Auditorium is located near main entrance for easy access for
visitors.
 Residential areas have been planned in Hierarchical pattern
 School building Is planned around a court.
 School building and students dorm have been placed diagonally to
take advantage of winds from southwest.

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS
Construction system :- brick masonry and concrete

Brick has been used as primary building material for the entire complex walls.

Brick arches have been used for wider spans.

Concrete has been restricted to floor slabs, foundations and ties for arches.

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: INTRODUCTION

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

The campus of IIMA is dominated by

the baked brick style favored by the its
chief architect, the famous Louis Kahn.

All the structures are designed to be

part of a whole and looks one integral
whole.

Other architects who collaborated on

the campus include the renowned B.V.
doshi and Anant Raje.

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: INTRODUCTION

ACADEMIC COMPLEX
The Academic complex comprises of the following :-
 Library
 School Building
 Faculty blocks
 Dormitories
 Louis Khan Plaza

 The Previously Finalized Design For Erdman Hall

Recently Done By Him Before IIM Inspired Him To
Base His Plan On Diagonals, With Long,
Interconnected Dormitories Block Stretching
Like Fingers From The Main Instructional Building,
Ending At The Edge Of A Lake.

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: INTRODUCTION

PLAN

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: INTRODUCTION

•Across the lake , houses of faculty were arranged in clusters.

•The diagonal layout had the particular advantage of responding well to the
requirement that the buildings be oriented towards the south westerly breezes.

•Kahn sub-divided the dormitories into 20 bedroom unit.

•Kahn used the local brick which he found was more effective in attaching the
school design to its Indian environment.

•Although he had frequently used brick veneer before but he was commited to
used brick as a structural material in Ahmedabad as he completely studied its
properties and admitted that his arched forms bore witness to the sincerity with
brick.

•The building includes free standing lecture rooms and blocks of faculty office
which stood on opposite sides of a great central courtyard, linked not by corridors
but by shady walkways that offered many places to stop and talk.

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: LIBRARY BLOCK

 The library building is five storied structure with rectangular plan.

 It is approached by a broad, imposing flight of steps from the parking lot.

 The design has been conceived to entail movement from the active
spaces to most private and quite carrels at the farthest reaches.

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: LIBRARY BLOCK

ENTRANCE READING HALL

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.
CONTENT TOPIC: INTRODUCTION

DORMITORY BLOCK
 The shape of each dormitory block is square with
two residential wings, triangular lounge and a
service area.

 The position of the staircase and washroom are

meant to protect the living room from sun and glare
without obstructing and the breeze and ventilation.

 The Dorns are placed one behind the other To

Obtain the much needed breeze and cross
ventilation.

 The dormitories had a network of small courtyard

interconnected by partially enclosed ground floor.

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: Dormitories

EXTERIOR VIEW OF DORMITORIES

VIEW OF DORMITORIES SHOWING COURTYARD

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.
CONTENT TOPIC: LOUIS KAHN PLAZA

Instead of small courtyard, one

large court has been planned in the
center to relate the movement
around.

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: LOUIS KAHN

SKETCHING

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: LOUIS KAHN

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

CONTENT TOPIC: LOUIS KAHN

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE NO. 1 Slide No.

HOMEWORK/ REVISION/ QUESTIONS:

Thank You

LSAD : AD01 : ARCHITECTURE LECTURE 1 Slide No.