NATIONAL AESSMBLY OF DHAKA-ARCHITECTURAL

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF DHAKA

ARCHITECT: LOUIS I. KAHN

YEAR:1964-1982

LOCATION:DAKHA, BANGLADESH BUILT IN:1964-1982

ARCHITECT: LOUIS KAHN

STRUCTURE: JATIYA SANGSAD BHABHAN

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING OF BANGLADESH

Born in Estonia 1901, Kahn’s family emigrated to the US in 1906 to escape Soviet war and widespread poverty across Eastern Europe. Kahn graduated from Pennsylvania University in 1924, then alternated between work and travel before establishing his own firm in 1935, which held focus on public housing and city planning. Kahn’s distinctive blend of modernism and brutalism emerged in the last 20 years of his life, while he worked as a university critic and professor. During these years, Kahn completed his most famous projects, including the Kimbell Art Museum, the Salk Institute and the National Assembly Building of Dacca.

Context

The Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (JSB) is the centrepiece of Bangladesh’s National Assembly complex, designed by Kahn in 1961 Though initially intended to serve as Pakistan’s Eastern capital, in 1971 East Pakistan (Bangladesh) gained independence, bestowing the JSB with a new purpose: to define and celebrate the new democracy. (Souza, 2010)

The Bangladeshi government contracted Kahn to design their National Assembly, whose work represented a divergence from the modernist architecture popular across much of the US and Europe. They believed Kahn would bring a new style to Bangladeshi architecture.

ABSTRACT

To incline and unfold the constituent elements of Louis I Kahn's architecture and philosophy, a precise attention must lie on the fundamental objectives that he vigorously pursued and mastered, especially in his latest works. This work focuses attention on Louis Kahn's idiosyncratic approach to light manipulation which he used to shape his architecture. That's due to the constant coherence of his approach even today. As we are merged in the plurality of fonts that haul our discipline, we constantly question the real sense of architecture and what makes it intelligible Kahn's method drew conclusions and seeked for this sense through precise fonts: lessons from the past, current modernist flow, and the context. He combined and transformed these inspirations distinctively through his own sensitivity to achieve that spiritual value and its own true sense that architecture should retain in its form. Thus, it is considered of utmost interest to rethink his approach and particularly to reflect today on the pertinence of his main architectural parameter: Light.

Louis Kahn is often credited with having in his National Assembly in Dhaka (1962–1983) introduced modern architecture to Bangladesh In fact at least as technologically advanced construction as any he employed was already in use there. Nor was he the first to use a sophisticated abstract esthetic in what was from 1947 to 1971 East Pakistan The importance and originality of the National Assembly instead resides in the care with which he built in reinforced concrete and the forms into which he required that it be cast These were esthetic decisions rooted in a particular theoretical position; they were located outside established modernist practice of the time in both South Asia and the United States. Indeed operating at such a great remove from home may have heightened Kahn’s authority to implement these forms even as it substantially complicated their execution.

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INTRODUCTION

If we look at the history of architecture since its beginning, say from the time of the pyramids to modern times, and make a list of the most significant buildings, it is likely that the National Assembly of Bangladesh (also known as Sher-eBangla Nagar) will occupy quite a prominent position. One could say that it was the culmination of the modern period of architecture and the beginning of the post-modern era

The decision to build the National Assembly of Bangladesh in Dhaka city was originally made in 1959. The administrators of martial law planned to build the current Sangsad Bhavan as a second seat of parliament of Pakistan on the proposed zone as the second capital, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar

‘

In allowing nature to invade an artefact, erode its envelope, make it porous, and finally repossess it, Kahn made the dynamics of weathering and landscaping visible’

Kahn, one of the great architects of his time, was originally selected to design the compound of the National Assembly He was not charged directly, but the project was put to the public to submit preliminary ideas for the complex and in March 1962 he was awarded the project officially.

An extension of 208 acres north of the current Manik Mia Avenue was destined for the draft’s second capital in 1961 and the masterplan was completed in 1962. Construction began in 1964 with an initial cost of $15 million The main structure was under construction in 1971 when war erupted in the area and all work stopped. In 1974 the government of Bangladesh made the decision to terminate the project under its original plans. The construction of the complex, along with all its services and facilities, was completed and inaugurated in 1982 at a cost of $32 million

The biggest criticism that has gone to the building has been for its exorbitant construction, especially in maintenance. The total cost of the complex (including the parliament building, the plaza north, the plaza south, residential buildings, hotels, gardens, streets, lakes, etc.) ascended to the staggering figure of $1.28 million. The mega complex has no more nor no less than 50 flights of stairs, 240 bathrooms, 1,635 doors, 335 windows, 300 partitions, and thousands of square meters of glass panels and wood. The annual cost of maintaining these facilities amounted to $55 million.

The building of the National Assembly has been addressed in virtually all publications about architecture around the world and has also been awarded the prized Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The subpoena that follows took place at the ceremony in which it awarded the construction and expresses a very interesting project evaluation:

“Faced with an architecture of so much power, size, clarity and beauty, the jury was unable to avoid questioning the compatibility between Shere-Banglanagar with the needs and aspirations of a poor country like Bangladesh Yet studies on the design and construction of the building revealed that over time it has gained general acceptance and has become a symbol of democracy in Bangladesh, influencing the country in many positive ways. Looking at its architecture spatially, more immediately the building has been able to absorb major archetypes of the region along the street and its extensive gardens and numerous lakes. The architect has managed to reinterpret and transform these ideas along a process that has been able to adapt concepts of construction and technology to the specific conditions of the locality of Dhaka The result is a building that, while universal in its concept and method, could not be found anywhere else ”

The main feature of the building is its monumental presence. The great mass of concrete lined with strips of marble, marked by the outer wall openings and the predominance of geometric forms of circular and rectangular concrete offer a great tribute to the building, fairly consistent with the noble functions that take place in the interior

Earlier in his career, in projects like the Jewish Community Center in Trenton or in the expansion of the Yale Art Gallery, Kahn experimented with monumental forms and simple materials such as brick or concrete. His goal was to make contemporary buildings with a universal quality For the Assembly building, he chose a red brick produced by a local factory. He also used indigenous technologies to equip buildings throughout the complex

To complement this knowledge of the native methods, Kahn built the building on a human scale. He believed that architecture was reflective of the art of making places, and that’s exactly what is experienced by pedestrians who enter the building Indoor high streets were built with local materials while the glass windows utilize the latest technology to ensure a comfortable climate Thus Kahn only alters the factors incompatible with the needs of use as per the temperature and keeps the local environment and the materials. The intention of Kahn for the parliament was to produce an ideal expression for the new democracy by using perfectly geometric shapes: circle, the half circle, square and triangle

SPACES

The complex, once completed, includes the National Assembly building, the plaza north (65,000 square feet), the plaza south (223,000 square feet), hotels for members of parliament, ministers and secretaries, social halls and common buildings, all linked by roads and walkways and surrounded by attractive gardens and lakes

Plan

A concentric plan of 110 foot cylindrical and cuboidal towers is arranged around an octagonal Assembly Chamber rising 45 feet above the surrounding buildings, highlighting its prominence within the building.

Kahn remarked that the idea for the design “ came simply from the realization that assembly is of a transcendent nature” (Diarna, 2014, citing Kahn). An assembly is a gathering of people for a common purpose, and thus the JSB is an assemblage of different buildings which together become a fully realised space

The JSB is an excellent example of Kahn’s distinction between ‘servant’ and ‘served’ spaces, possibly his greatest input to architectural theory (smow Designermöbel, 2013) Kahn utilises the negative space between the inhabited (served) spaces within the towers to provide ‘servant’ spaces that support the function of the building

Form

The external form creatively provides interior ventilation and shade with voids and recessed facades between towers, which also gives depth to the monolithic forms Kahn described his unique design as a “many-faceted precious stone, constructed in concrete and marble” (Curtis, 2013, citing Kahn), a fitting statement for a building constructed as a public display of wealth

Despite the concrete blocks appearing solid, the walls are hollow shells containing cuboidal office blocks The geometric openings punched through the facades allude to this by offering snapshot views of the shadowed spaces inside (Gast, 2001)

''If you think of Brick, you say to Brick, ‘What do you want, Brick?’ And Brick says to you, ‘ I like an Arch’ And if you say to Brick, ‘Look, arches are expensive, and I can use a concrete lintel over you What do you think of that, Brick?’ Brick says, ‘ I like an Arch’ And it’s important, you see, that you honor the material that you use [ ] You can only do it if you honor the brick and glorify the brick instead of shortchanging it''

-Louis Kahn

Materiaity

With Le Corbusier setting precedence with concrete architecture in India during the 1950s, the intimidating concrete form serves as a reminder of Bangladesh’s brutal past under Pakistani ruling (Choudhury, 2015)

Layers of concrete and marble constitute the JSB walls Marble slabs at 5 foot (roughly eye-level) intervals dictates scale on the façade, evoking a relationship between the building and observer (Legault, 2013) The marble accounts for the unskilled Bangladeshi workers and improper equipment by obscuring the seams between concrete pours

In June 1959 the central government of Pakistan decided to establish two capitals, in a uniquely divided country, an executive capital in Islamabad, and a legislative capital in Dacca. The work of designing the second capital was given to Architect Muzharul Islam At one point Muzharul Islam decided that the nation would be better served, and the future generation of architects would have an iconic work to learn from, if a master architect could be brought in to do the work instead Three architects, Le Corbusier, Alvar Alto and Louis I. Kahn, were considered and later on, Kahn was appointed.

KAHN'S LIGHT: THE MEASURABLE AND THE UNMEASURABLE OF THE BANGLADESH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING

1. KAHN AND THE FUNDAMENTALS

Writing about Louis Kahn (1901–1974) is not a straightforward task His formative path is selective but inclusive, characterized by harmonized oppositions of abstraction and empathy, finite and infinite or as he stressed, measurable and ‘unmeasurable’, continually seeking to give a tangible form of that eternal, spiritual and timeless. An American classical modernist trained under the Beaux-Arts system at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (1920–1924), tutelage of Paul Cret was presented with classical grammar and principles as axial, hierarchical govern of compositions. The considerations of tradition, the references to history were prompted later with his travels to Rome, Greece, and Egypt Ex Learning from Roman architecture's formal simplicity, which is dense in details and meanings was not an easy process; it required decades to transpose the essential orders into a new interpretation that later would become the mainstay of his architectural ideology.

Nonetheless, Kahn did not design by analogy He extrapolated, reinterpreted the architecture of the past, and gave a universal sense His method consisted of absoluteness and a dichotomous approach to design that had to be resolved, because only in this way could an event be represented, given a meaning, and become a part of the everyday dynamic. Every architectural act must have a sense and prescribe an event rather than a mere matter of abstract formal composition. Kahn philosophy can be assumed in three fundamental aspects which he looked up in a building/architecture

-the unity, the absoluteness of architectural work, a building that represents to some extent even in metaphysical terms the ideal character of the built; the sense the physical element assumes, stripped from the unnecessary to proclaim, only the essential.

-the sense of origin in architecture, an architecture capable of inciting a new origin, a new sense of place that is precisely matched to the context, a concept that Kahn also recuperates via his studies of classical architecture and tradition, an element that was saturated in modernist priorities

-the concept of institution, an architecture able to create community and represent the values of this community The building conveys the sense of the event that happens in its space

Here are interrogated the parameters necessary to achieve these goals and consist, firstly, the platonic geometrical forms that rely on absolute order; the layering and density with which space is built through these forms; and finally, how the light is projected to define these spaces.

Furthermore, Kahn's idealistic approach led him to a fundamental organization of these primary forms, in which the centrality of spaces was emphasized to express the meaning of the type of institution and is shaped accordingly to the character of the building and the social order it is supposed to reflect. As a result, this embodied symbolic geometry is analogical to his vision of nature, which has spiritual roots for universal abstraction So, the space became symbolic Kahn intentions were to evoke the ‘immeasurable’ in order to give to a part of reality an ultimate quality of transcendence, where ‘ space, light, and structure can be fused’ (Curtis, 1982) and that reality had measurable quality, which is controlled with precision depending on the material and constructive means (Curtis, 1982). In this sense, Kahn defines a concept of new monumentality that is not related to size but rather on a higher order of measurable

The highest architectural maturity is represented in one of his most recent works, the National Assembly Building in Dhaka (Fig. 1), which embodies all of his architectural principles, including character, spirituality, order, and monumentality.

“This project was a window into his soul. He needed it. He wanted it to be right. It meant as much to him as anything in his life, more perhaps, and he was using all the will he had toward getting it finished".

The focus of the study is on the observation and translation of optical experiences, as well as their interpretations and reflections, which are directed by Kahn's writing and complemented with pictures, sketches, and plans. The first analytical approach provides an unparalleled insight into the philosophical background of the architect through a logical argumentation of textual and graphic material The tendency is to comprehend, reconsider and discuss the potential concepts in contemporaneity. As Kahn's theory of light is considered a generator to his architectural production, the objective lies in deciphering the process through this major influential parameter. One of his most advocated works, the Dhaka National Assembly Building, is considered an example to be reminisced and elaborated Thus, the second part is re-elaborated the geometrical appraisal of ideal forms and spatial modulation attentively How geometry permits light to quantify the space, and as a result, how light becomes the primary element for sculpting architecture The last section focuses entirely on light and its sublime qualities, its relationship to mass and void, and to the choice of materials and the implications that follow- to transmit the meaning of architecture poetically and to dignify the social order as well The observations below are supported with a stringent selection of illustrative views, plans, and Kahn comments on his own design philosophy

3. DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING: TWO DECADES OF WORK

Undoubtedly, Dhaka National Assembly Building remains one of the most complicated works of Kahn's architecture when it comes to the interplayof light and mass composed in a very controlled geometrical system of forms (Ching et al., 2017). Every architectural act seemed to be the extended and more sophisticated version of previous buildings.

Kahn dedicated more than a decade to the design of masterplan (Fig 2a and b) and building in particular (1961–1982) The building located at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka is considered one of the most legislative enclaves of Bangladesh This masterpiece stands at the intersection of the past, the present and the future It conveys a distinctive sense to the Bangladeshi nation, not for making it an exemplary manifestation of modern architecture, but for representing the symbolic monumentality of a democratic nation after the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1972 Kahn offered to this society an idealized order of government; a new institution and a sacral meaning to secular assembly blended with the Bangladeshi nation's architecture, history and culture in a western perspective Besides, he considers this work as extensive influence from antiquity, especially Roman ruins with Caracalla Baths and Bengali vernacular style. Hence, the building assumes a postmodern identity rooted in the past while rejecting the anonymity of modernism

Caracalla Baths (212-216 AD)

(a) First 3D model proposal

(b) Site Plan proposal

The building itself embodies the three crucial concepts stated above. The sense of origin is achieved through the form of centrality in where the main activities aggregate, with the assembly in center considered as a transcendent nature that is strongly interconnected with other spaces. That is to emphasize the institutional character which bounds the social spirit of the place While absoluteness is achieved in the sublime of architectural order which is combined with archaic elements; as there is a coherence between constituted elements that clarifies the intelligibility of completeness

On a broader scale, the works of Kahn in Dhaka particularly, is a sophisticated case study of mass and void- figure and ground The composition works in reverse as well, focusing on what happens when the limit of the building meets the atmospheric mass The same universal principles of composition are applied from masterplan to the assembly of the building itself Centrality, axiality, hierarchy and echelon placement of buildings are calibrated within 200 acres.

At Dhaka, buildings are interconnected in a way to form a single composition As assembly constitutes the essential component, the origin of the building from which additional spaces radiate or are axially located – centrality – becomes the governing principle. A circle gives a sense of unity and implies the prime of social order. “The architecture of connection…that which connects the useable space…This is the measure of the architect-the organization of the connecting spaces-that which gives the man walking through the building a feeling of the entire sense of the institution” (Kahn, as cited in “Law and Rule” 1961 recited on Brownlee and Long, 1991

In an intimate scale, mass and void, space and form are interrogated through geometry that further employ the material and correct intensity of light, whose qualities would define the character of spaces meant to be allocated The Euclidean geometry – primary forms are employed based on the principle of repetition with slight variations to provide the dynamic balance to the composition of the whole; unlike the static equilibrium from the classical lessons. The community sense of the central form is amplified with the addition of a mosque angled against the Assembly to face Mecca and to contrast the prevailing order as depicted.

A circular theme generates the final form by juxtaposition of squares and semi-circular forms in a radial organization The interconnection and superimposition of tower-like volumes – which allocate other functions like galleries, members' rooms, grouped around the central space – generate a series of spatial events characterized as ambiguous and with the intense poetic charge when cast by light. This amplification of the architectural system allowed him to redefine the monumental sense of the building complex; the centralized Citadel encircled with an outer layer that gives a solid appearance from the outside punctured with triangular and semi-circular openings In the conscience of the architect, the syntactic and grammatical levels coincide

Entry point of National Assembly Building.

He achieved a real monolithic sublimity by using of cylindrical and rectangular shapes within a square. Kahn's architectural philosophy was to visualize those geometrical grids and shapes into the Bengali folk architectural tradition in a broader sense (Ashraf, 1994). These enormous openings on the external second skin, which hides the small windows on the first skin and creates shade for the building complex's offices, intentionally give the building a monumental grim feature Kahn's intention of applying monumentality through these huge unglazed openings and hiding windows was rooted within Roman architecture. He figured that if the Romans could do it without glass, so could he (Scully, 1993).

Moreover, in continuation of the learning of Roman architecture, Kahn used the similar approach of using giant pillars at the entry point of the National Assembly Building This reflects his ideologies of making it a man ' s institution where they gather for unity It is also worth noting that a similar concept is also noticed at the entry gate pillars in the ruins of the Caracalla Baths.

“My design at Dhaka is inspired, actually by the Baths of Caracalla, but much extended. The residential spaces of this building are an amphitheater. This residual space, a space that is found, a court. Around it there are gardens, and in the body of the building, which is the amphitheater, are the interiors, and in the interiors are the levels of gardens and places that honor the athlete and places that honor the knowledge of how you were made. All these are places of wellbeing and places for rest and places where one gets advice about how to live forever .and so that is what inspired the design.”

Caracalla Baths (212-216 AD).

Some Bengali Buddhist monasteries, such as Mahastangarh (3rd century B C ), Paharpur (8th century A D ), and Maynamoti (8–12th century), are also compared to the assembly building in terms of the geometric arrangement (Choudhury, 2015), emphasized on the monumentality of these Buddhist architectures and their significant influence on Kahn's design philosophy of the assembly building

Significantly, the central cruciform shape of the Paharpur monastery dictates Kahn's intention of visualizing the monumentality of Bengali architecture

Paharpur Buddhist monastery

As it was stressed, Bangladesh National Assembly is embodied by Bengali vernacular style and according to Rashid and Ara (2015) this type of style provokes minimalism, modularity and adaptability which are essentially modern concepts. In addition, Kahn drew attention to this project based on his acquaintance with Bengali culture, and reflected Bengali religious diversity when designing the project and crossed the country, making sure he was immersed in the Bengali building and cultural traditions (Wiseman 2007) It also evokes various architectural styles, such as Mughal building structures, the Roman Renaissance, and appears to have converged as a palimpsest in one single architectural event rather than as a synthesis (Ashraf, 1994).

Building discerns silently in its brick basement surrounded by artificial lake sealing a new origin, in a metaphysical sense and condensed in its being

Artificial Lake of National Assembly Building.

“This is architecture which restores something to those who have no heritage, who find in it an image their dignity, and who-for lack of anything better-see in it vision of a different life”.

Evidently, Kahn interprets the government, the mosque and the court in one universal social law circumscribed and blended in one building empathetically and poetically. As Kahn stated “Architecture is the thoughtful making of spaces ” , the visible solids are indeed the voids inside the building that generate a layering of spaces dissolved in sequential intervals through a dynamic interplay of light and shadows Despite the classical echoes, the spatial conception assumes a modernist twist

The physical configuration of voids is determined by traversed axes, pierced inner walls, and volume juxtaposition, allowing of volumes allow the space to fluctuate while yet being but still to be contained in particular spaces of the building just in order to find the moment of stasis to assert its own character

This occurs in the volumes allocated in four primary orthogonal axes which end in subspaces with central organization as well The secondary radial axes that start from the main center are aligned with the rectangular volumes

The perimetric volumes that enclose the space in between assume their individuality through form and vertical layers, which are punctured with pure shapes, and so, to maintain the visual tension between the entire composition whole This space in between is a ‘street’ that assumes the communal sense in the universal order

Thus, the phenomenal transparency in Kahn's space is evident but of course not completely entirely in modernist terms as it does not have the degree of anonymity as a characteristic of modernity, and stands between outer and inner space, which are formally defined or concluded As a consequence of this concept, we witness a stratification of space that stands between dynamic and static equilibrium, and between modern and classical conception

Universally, Kahn's philosophy included these spatial configurations using different external lines, geometrical shapes and the game of light and shadow on the exterior, so that he can represent Bangladeshi culture and heritage. A similar layout and view are also present in Kahn's other project in the library complex of Phillips Exeter Academy According to (Deijkers et al , 2014), the book zone of the library building is similar to the street of the Assembly Building. Kahn used similar geometric shapesfor the academy's library complex. The offices of the outer layer are also consistent with the student reading zone of the library complex Therefore, the learning of Phillips Exeter Academy Library in the USA (1965–1971) was one of the significant contributors of Kahn's project for the National Assembly Building (1963–1974) Moreover, using space (street) to make room where people can interact with each other also expresses Kahn's inspiration from the courtyard of Salk Institute for Biological Studies A similar concept is present on the upper floors of the National Assembly Building, where people can communicate with each other. Kahn's architectural order is abstract even though he explicitly approached every parameter of his architecture in an empathic way

“

Of course there are some spaces which should be flexible, but there are also some which should be completely inflexible They should be just sheer inspiration just the place to be, the place which does not change, except for the people who go in and out”

Every building must have its own soul

Consider the momentous event in architecture when the wall parted and the column became

Architecture is what nature cannot make Architecture is something unnatural but not something made up

Architecture is the reaching out for the truth

5. SCULPTING (THROUGH) THE SILENCE AND LIGHT

Evidently, the work of Louis Kahn relies on the strength of oppositions His dichotomous architecture reaches the spiritual value methodically from mass and void to light and shadow interplay That's why his architectural production embraces both phenomenology and abstraction recognition. He designed with precision anticipating the route of natural light and its reflection; hence he anticipated the size and proportions of mass and void

(a) Upper floors of National Assembly building

(b) Section of middle ring.

The quality of light is defined from layered spatial configuration and material of construction that acquires it. Due to the geometrical juxtaposition of forms, the space in between, generates different scenarios of light and shadow As is to say, the light in the afternoon would cast the polished punctured wall of ambulatory and the form of projected light and shadow would reach its sublime unification on the building structures

The Dhaka National Assembly is an excellent example of perfection of how this approach is materialized Firstly, the reciprocity between the Silence in the inner spaces and the building per se, generates a metaphysical state in its presence on site and the dynamic sense coming from the active superimposition and juxtaposition of surfaces as well as declination of natural light through triangular, rectangular and semi-circular openings. The light scenery is subjected to continuous change. This transition of natural light is ‘the domestication’ of what is transcendent and for him, the buildings assists on controlling and measuring a tiny amount of the immeasurable and contain for a while in defined space as an unprecedented scene and as a manifestation never to be repeated “So light, this great maker of presence can never be brought forth by the single moment in light which the electric bulb has. And natural light has all the moods of the time of the day, the seasons of the year, (which) year for year and day for day are different from the day preceding ”

The intention is that none of the spaces can exist without natural light; even a crack of natural light is enough to name a space and feel the presence. “I said that all material in nature, the mountains and the streams and the air and we, are made of Light which has been spent, and this crumpled mass called material casts a shadow, and the shadow belongs to Light. So Light is really the source of being”

“A plan of a building should be read like a harmony of spaces in light Even a space intended to be dark should have just enough light from some mysterious opening to tell us how dark it really is Each space must be defined by its structure and the character of its natural light”

The light that penetrates the spaces of Dhaka buildings are of different kinds From morning to sunset; direct cast or indirectly through intermediate layers of spaces, and that is consequently of different intensities. “Every space must have natural light, because it is impossible to read the configurations of a space or shape by having only one or two ways of lighting it Natural light enters the space released by the choice of construction.”

Passages

The platform of the Assembly building and the passages of access draw different scenarios of mass and void. Besides, the analogy to Roman ruins of Caracalla Baths is explicit in the choice of constructive elements at this level. Hence, Kahn's method to rethink the structure from the past and make it for universal use, and modeling through light, is evident as he provided those passages as ‘porticos’ with arched and trilithic construction Obviously, all of the drafted to bring the user into the experience of sequences and rhythmic projections of light through structure “Structure is the giver of light”

Bangladesh is known for strong light and Kahn treated it appropriately Beyond its spiritual value, he employed it to give the building the appartenenza or the sense of belonging to a place, the sense of origin. As regards to the monolithic presence, the building is composed of solids that dissolve into the interior lightning wells;

“In the plan of the assembly I have introduced a light giving element to the interior of the plan. Consider if you see a series of columns you can say that the choice of columns is a choice in light The columns as solids frame the spaces of light Now think of it just in reverse and think that the columns are hollow and much bigger and their walls can themselves give light, then the voids are rooms, and the column is the maker of light and can take on complex shapes and be the supporter of spaces and give light to spaces ”

“A stair isn't something you get out of catalogue but a very important event in building”

In progression, from the outer ring to the Assembly in the center, the building is composed of three main layers/zones in the radial placement where each is subject to different spatial structure and lightning First ring that hosts the offices is composed of rectangular volumes which are illuminated directly through the outer skin pierced with glassless openings of different shapes: triangles, semicircles, rectangles and vertical and horizontal splits This layer between the inner spaces of offices and outer infinite space controls the intensity of light that enters and the projection of shadows. Besides, it allows natural ventilation. These spaces are placed in radial axis and modulated in such a way so that they are not to be intersected, but linked through bridges in order to allow light to enter the space in between or the most communal area Moreover, the glassless openings from the outer skin are always aligned to the communication area and stairs to elevate the experience of vertical movement.

(a) Offices

(b) Light openings.

The entry hall on the north and the mosque on the south are likewise appended of the outer ring The last has defeated the orthogonal axis in a certain angle and is hinged through the circle to the rest. The rectangular volumes with cylindrical corners that serve as lightning wells are pierced with circular glazed openings in upper and lower corners and receive light through cylinders The intensity of light that enters the room is strong particularly in the zenith position of the sun Thus, the brightness again is controlled through semi-circular elements where the light first casts and then to be distributed through the hall. Here the lightning and spatial qualities are consecrated.

The entry hall on the north and the mosque on the south are likewise appended of the outer ring The last has defeated the orthogonal axis in a certain angle and is hinged through the circle to the rest. The rectangular volumes with cylindrical corners that serve as lightning wells are pierced with circular glazed openings in upper and lower corners and receive light through cylinders. The intensity of light that enters the room is strong particularly in the zenith position of the sun Thus, the brightness again is controlled through semi-circular elements where the light first casts and then to be distributed through the hall. Here the lightning and spatial qualities are consecrated

The entrance of the mosque.

Diagram detailing light cylinders

The second layer or the space in between (outer layer and the central assembly) often considered as a street, is the void ring filled with different spatial and lightning sequences directly and indirectly, from the ceiling or from the detachments of juxtaposed volumes. The natural light was permeated into atmospheric layers of dense characters belonging to different functions and yet reaching that communal sense

The spaces are illuminated through the ribbed ceiling, the vertical fissures and the highest opening is above the entrance to the mosque Is like an invitation to enlightenment The center or the Assembly with its octagonal shape recalls a point of stasis, a center. The light reaches its monumental presence in the chamber through the openings from the ceiling with tent-like semi-circular openings. The light rhythmically scans the space and certain projected intervals as the sun moves during the day The infinity that enters the room, transcends its mere function and instructs the dignity of communal-social order

The view from the Ambulatory, Dakka.

Apparently, the quality and intensity of natural light to some extent is controlled through employed material-concrete, which allows sharp reflection and homogenous dispersion depending on how it is molded by structure. While in the level of passages to the platform, local bricks tend to absorb it more than reflected And this level acts as a base but still maintains its earthy ruin-like sense, opposed/amplified by water. Lastly, this convocation of concrete, brick and water in one unified ‘compound’ assembled through light incites a definition of new “genius loci” for Bengali culture

(a) Interior view of Parliament house

(b) Section of Chamber Hall

Diagram detailing glass block skylights

Glass block roof above office void

" I sense Light as the giver of all presences, and material as spent Light What is made by Light casts a shadow, and the shadow belongs to Light"

" I sense a Threshold: Light to Silence, Silence to Light - an ambiance of inspiration, in which the desire to be, to express, crosses with the possible Light to Silence, Silence to Light crosses in the sanctuary of art"

This paper attempted to bring into the light a new concept of understanding of Kahn's work This understanding aimed to be found from Kahn's own words about the light. Light, as a major dominating parameter of Kahn's architecture is obtained in between poetry and practical components of his building design. Kahn's approach to architecture in general, and in Dhaka in particular, reveals that light and shadow, as two important parameters to his architecture, are treated as building materials Ultimately, Kahn's work stands on the threshold as regards to his careful reference to the past and future without falling into something utopian and neither eclectic Undoubtedly, Dhaka stands as a magnum opus of his idea of architecture and an exemplary manifestation of the twentieth century and a historical landscape of Bangladesh with one of the most famous Kahn's designs, Dhaka National Assembly Building But above all, an opus to the prevalence of light as an element which is universal and still unique for the context and can be articulated accurately to originate the architecture of the place This research also welcomes future researchers to come across in-depth architectural reviews about Kahn's philosophy that still reaches ‘unmeasurable’ in the current study. Such investigations may include new influential variable architectural dictionaries

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PRESENTED BY:-DEVANGI DEVANI