On monuments and

monumentality: Louis I Khan

Morden Architecture since 1900
William J.R. Curtis

Silvi Patel
Iu1543000024
About Author

William J.R.Curtis (1948) is an historian,

critic and writer . He studied at
Courtauld Institute of art.
His main interest was to study history of
architecture, theories of design. He
believes that one of the best ways of
learning architecture is to penetrate to
the underlying ideas of past work and
then to transform these through
abstraction and imagination.
Introduction

• During 19 century it was difficult for Morden architects to receive the large commission which
require monumental treatment.

• Many architects during that period faced many problems to deal with size and symbolic
expression possessed by large institution as they was hold of traditionalism over official taste
remained between the country's.

• Monumentality is a quality in architecture which does not necessarily have to do with size, but
with intensity of expression. The problem was to handle public building with appropriate degree
of presence and accessibility.

• Monumentality was considered as human landmarks which intended to outlive the period which
originated them, and the expression of man’s highest need.

• Many architects like le Corbusier,Mies Van der Rohe and Aalto gave indications in their works to
establish Monumentality.
Initially ideal city of the early Morden movements certainly brought their own version of clarity, but
tended to concentrate on living and working, leaving monumental expression for skyscrapers and
freeways.
• Le Corbusier’s architecture began to
Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh Assembly Building possess a new visual weight and heroic
force, which was unconnected with his
own need to solve problems of
monumental expression.
• As Chandigarh was preoccupied with
some vision of acropolis, particularly he
transformed various ancient types and
formulations i.e. the basilica and the
diwan into high court, in an attempt at
providing image of suitability honorific
characters.
• Thus it is not to suggest that Chandigarh
was an automatic recipe for good
monumentality, its proposition were
disapproved because of ungainly
elephantine concrete forms surrounded
by wildernesses of plaza.
The Boston city Hall (1962-8)
• Gerhard Kallmann, Michael Mc Kinnell and
Edward Knowles, tries to show sculptural
language in rough reinforced concrete
with red brick ramps, floors and step
bringing the surrounding plaza in at the
lower levels.

• Its tried to deal with the contradiction

between authority and openness, which
combines the visual and interactive
spaces.
• Enclosed building express its forms, offices
on top floors, most public facilities being at
the ground level , it was easily accessible.
The programme seemed to suggest a
rectangular plan around court, but
kallmann called an ‘action architecture’
exploiting dramatic interior space,
ascending movement and framed viewed
of surroundings.
• Author gave various examples and explain monumentality were not been able to shown by
various architect, but on the other side the master of monumentality Louis I Khan was capable of
handling problems of large size without degenerating into either an addictive approach overdone
grandiosity.

• Kahn knew how to fuse Morden constructional means with traditional methods. This architecture
was infused with deep feeling for the meaning of human situations, which enable him to aovid
the mere shape and formalists.

• He was trained in Beaux-Arts system at Philadelphia which acquainted him with the classical
grammar, with devices of axial organization, hierarchy and composition. In his education great
emphasis was laid on the discovery and generating of a proper idea for a building.

“there is a time of day when the sun, reflecting on the ocean, merges with light reflecting on the rivulet
of water in the trough bisecting the central court. Oceans and courtyards are fused…….
Architecture and nature are joined in metaphysics of place….”
Richards Medical Research Laboratory , University Of Pennysylvia

• Expression of fixed and the variable, the

serving and the served, by
monumentalizing the service and the stair-
towers and treating the laboratories as
attached cellular element.
• The plan was combination of the linear
and particulate which also created harbors
of space between the buildings and
surroundings.
• The structural system of the laboratory
spaces was precast concrete and Kahn
tried to show connections and joints.
• His approach was the opposite of the one
which clothes everything into a single
envelope which was different from
widespread phenomenon of that period.
Indian Institute Of Management , Ahmedabad

• Kahn reverse to a basic organization

in which the primary meaning of an
institution is expressed in a central
space of a concentrated social
character based on square, circle,
or diamond and related to
surrounding.
• He detailed his buildings with great
attention to joints , connections and
the texture or color of materials.
• He was as interested in spaces
between buildings. At IIM
Ahmedabad , he weaved streets ,
squares and transitional spaces.
• Kahn created a deep transition
between the outer edge and the
Opening reduced
interiors of the buildings to allow the
to simple voids cut
shade for walkways.
deep through the
• Dormitories of the institution were
outer skin.
laid out diagonal flotilla to catch the
prevailing winds.
National Assembly Building , Dhaka, Bangladesh

• Louis Kahn used circular shape to

express social grouping or a notion
of center. The form has to reflect the
meaning of the institution.
• Kahn plan has distinct features of
centralized organization from both
western and eastern tradition.

• The building was on a brick platform

surrounded by water and
constructed in grey concrete with
thin white marble lines.

• Kahn was able to convince the

monumentality because his
architectural system tended in that
directions.
 Sources
• https://williamjrcurtis.com/biography/

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