Approach Towards Building Façade Design from the Perspectives of Louis I Kahn Shubhi Vaid 1 and Gireendra Kumar2 1, 2 Department of Architecture and Planning, MNIT Jaipur, Jaipur, India {[email protected], [email protected]} @MNIT Jaipur Abstract: Louis I Kahn spent his entire career in need to find an ‘order' that could bring silence into the light. His buildings characterized the quality of timelessness while embracing silence and light. This paper mainly focuses on the theories given by Louis I Kahn and how those can be interpreted and implemented in the present context of building facade design. He said, "Architecture is an art you can walk around and be in." He wanted to create monumental spaces with the essence of spirituality and function. Kahn was considered ‘universalist' and ‘humanist' in his approach as his works are based on a logical system of theories and relationships between ‘form',' ‘structure', ‘scale', ‘light' and ‘shadow'. The unique geometrical abstraction in his façade helped him to create a distinct approach towards building design. The paper explores how various conceptual theories of Kahn are linked to his works especially of the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad (1962-74) and the National Capital Complex in Bangladesh (1962-83). Keywords: Building facade, Monumentality, Window Opening, Daylight. 1. Introduction "Louis I Kahn wanted was a mystery, a sense of majestic and ambiguous scale, of function transcending into awe. It is totally, as it were, outside time – has escaped time as a ruin does – containing within it, as always, the sublime." (Gusheh, M., 2013). The paper explores his journey of thought resulting in the formation of various theories towards façade design along with implication in the present context. According to him, an architect should build a building that not only serves its function but also creates a space that makes the user aware of its presence. He didn't want to simply create a building but rather, a sculpture with ‘spaces' in it. His buildings always had the essence of spirituality with a reflection of past architecture of building design through the use of innovative construction techniques. Architecture design evolution inspired him to develop his perspective for a distinct design of buildings. This directed him to build monolithic structures and bold openings represented as perfect examples for interpretation of the past in the era of modern architecture. The review of his work journey is highlighted in this study. His journey was inspired by many architects, which helped him in the evolution of his thoughts and further lead to the emergence of various design theories. Kahn wanted to create structures which are monumental yet functional to the need of its present user. His search of monumentality led to the origins of Roman and Greek architecture which further led to understand the importance of ‘form', ‘structure', ‘space' and most importantly ‘light' in a building. Various philosophies such as ‘Served and Servant Spaces', Silence and Light' and ‘Ruins of Rome' developed by Louis I Kahn lead to a new outlook for architecture. Kahn's philosophies had different subjective jargons that lead to the development of various interpretations about his buildings. His works show excellent geometrical abstraction, façade opening, and unique construction techniques that make his buildings monumental in nature as well as emphasize the importance of light in a building. He tried to explain the relation of light with the function of the building in his design perspectives that could provide a unique experience to the user. Revisiting the Role of Architecture for 'Surviving’ Development. 53rd International Conference of the Architectural Science Association 2019, Avlokita Agrawal and Rajat Gupta (eds), pp. 421–430. © 2019 and published by the Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA). 422 Vaid S. and Kumar G. The study elaborates the relationship between his theories and building openings especially of the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad (1962-74) and the National Capital Complex in Bangladesh (1962- 83). He believed that "architecture began with the making of a room" and "the room is not a room without natural light". Various interesting openings can be seen in his buildings at Dhaka and Ahmedabad. These geometrical openings are one of the reasons that make a space monumental. Further, the study shows how Kahn used these openings as a method to bring change in the modern architectural era by using the innovative design approach for façade development of modern buildings with the essence of monumentality. 2. Kahn’s Design Journey 2.1. Beaux-art and Classicism Kahn started his architectural journey from the University of Pennsylvania (a leading university in Beaux-Arts tradition). This style emphasized, "the study of Greek and Roman structures, composition, and symmetry, and the creation of elaborate presentation drawings" (Black, 2007; Rabifard, M., 2011). It focused on the masses of historical buildings, the nature of material, composition and using it in the present context. "Beaux-Arts design depended on the regular breaking and disguising of axes in order to preserve the freshness of their organizing effect" (Brownlee D, De Long D, 1991; Rabifard, M., 2011). Kahn believed that contemporary and modern architecture should have remanence of Classicism as it perfectly defines the proper rational composition that can be used to make better structures. Paul Cret, one of the professors at the University of Pennsylvania had a great influence on Kahn's architecture. He believed in theories of "Structural Rationalism by Viollet-Le-Duc and De Baudot" and "The Classicism of Durand's Permutative System". He tried to link these two theories by building a façade with the combination of Greek and Roman structures without compromising the material characteristics. Kahn became an ardent follower of the beaux-arts style. He always remained true to his principles even as the majority moved towards the modern era of architecture. He was deeply intrigued by the use of light, material, scale, and geometries in historical structures during his visit to Rome and Greece, which greatly influenced his teachings and approach. He used to trace the lines of Greek and Roman structures to find hidden geometries, which could be used in modern structures with innovative techniques. During his years of teaching, he emphasized on the sketches. Sketches reflect the understanding of scale, light, and geometry. He teaches "appropriateness" (Louis Kahn, 1974; Rabifard, M., 2011). 2.2. Influence of architects Modernism was at its glory in the mid-twentieth century, looking forward to a new beginning without traces from the past. Many famous architects like Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mies Van Der Rohe left huge marks in the era of modernism. Louis I Kahn who was one of the few architects of that era with a different approach. Yet, he was greatly influenced by these architects; one of them was Le Corbusier. During Kahn's entire career, he looked up to him. He always thought about Le Corb's opinion on his buildings. (Louis Kahn, 1972; Rabifard, M., 2011). Kahn greatly admired Le Corb for his understanding of scale, composition, masses, materials and his zeal to create architecture that not only serves its function but also to fulfill the user's emotional and psychological needs. In the same way, Kahn spoke about his ‘form' and ‘order'. Architecture for Kahn was not just a need but also an order between the thoughts and reality. (Namazian, A., Mehdipour, A., 2012). Other architects such as F.L. Wright and Meis Van Der Rohe might have influenced Kahn on some of his theories. Scully defined the similarities between his works with other architects. (Namazian, A.; Mehdipour, Approach Towards Building Façade Design from the Perspectives of Louis I Kahn 423 A., 2012). For Kahn "Architecture comes from making of a room" and Wright believed in "the room to be expressed on exterior as space enclosed” (Wright, 1928, p.168) (fig.2). Their respect for the material, abstract composition and use of masses in their buildings is quite similar but still different. Their similar ideologies were expressed through different approaches. Kahn appreciated abstract forms but that extracted from historical forms instead of a completely new composition of the modern era where the only motto was not to refer the past. (Coulter, G., 2015). 2.3. Trip to Europe After his graduation, Kahn visited many places and sketched almost all the structures during his expedition. His trip to Europe in 1950-51 proved a turning point in Kahn's life where he realized the importance of "monumentality in the regulation of architecture" (McCarter, 2005) and "use of shadows and light" in buildings. Later he developed his theories of light and shadow, which he called "Silence and Light". After coming back from Rome, he wrote "Our stuff looks tinny compared to it and all the pure forms have been tried in all variations." (Kahn, 1951; Rabifard, M., 2011). He felt the need to understand the ideas and approaches to create spaces and compare them with modern principles and objectives. Earlier works of Kahn showed the reflection of traditional modernism before his journey to Europe. Later, he tried to develop an order to "redefining the use of structure, light, form, and space." (UKEssays, 2018). Kahn was in the search of a new "beginning", where one builds a new life instead of a building, a spiritual resource blended with monumentality. He studied how scale, form, and light can create a monumental space from the remains of Greek and Roman structures. The use of light in Pantheon from Oculus, the scale of Baths of Caracalla and pure form of Pyramid – all these structures taught him to create sustainable monumentality. "Monumentality for Kahn involved the enigmatic, the eternal, and the timeless – it could not be the goal of architectural thinking, but more the outcome of architecture's use." (Coulter, G., 2015).