Louis Isadore Kahn was born in a Estonian island on February 20th, 1901. He moved to the United States in 1906 and became an American citizen on May 15, 1914.

     He studied architecture in the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1924. He worked in the offices of famous architects of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, like John Molitor, George Howe and Oscar Storonov.

     Kahn did not find his distinctive architectural style until he was in his fifties, after he stayed in the American Academy of Rome that marked a turning point in Kahn's career. Visiting ancient buildings in Italy, Greece and Egypt helped him to develop his own style based in the back-to-the-basics approach.

     You can see this style in every building he designs, using simple shapes and materials in their most pure form. My favorite building, and a great example to see, is the Phillips Exeter Academy Library in New Hampshire (1965-1972) where from the outside you can see a huge cube made out of bricks, but when you enter the building the spaces are defined by different forms like circles and squares, made out of reinforced concrete and wood. He also thinks it is very important to use natural illumination, which you can also see in the Library.

     Kahn's designs are always so simple but majestic at the same time, he knows very well how to combine the shapes and materials in their pure form to create great spaces that are suitable for every single person that goes into his buildings.

Kahn.wma

cube made out of bricks

circles and squares made out of pure concrete and wood

natural illumination