SANJEEVA RAO 0330012 DISSERTATION SEM 3

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| FORM & SPACE NARRATING SPATIAL IDENTITY BY LOUIS KAHN

FORM AND SPACE NARRATING SPATIAL IDENTITY : STUDYING

THE PHILOSOPHIES

OF LOUIS

ISADORE

KAHN

DISSERTATION I FINAL SUBMISSION

SANJEEVA RAO 0330012 MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE SEM 3 SANJEEVA RAO | 0330012 | DISSERTATION I |

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| FORM & SPACE NARRATING SPATIAL IDENTITY BY LOUIS KAHN

CONTENT ABSTRACT GLOSSARY 1.0 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND STUDY 1.1.1 - SCENARIO 1.1.2 - LOUIS ISADORE KAHN

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION 1.4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

2.0 CHAPTER 2 - RESEARCH DESIGN 2.1 METHODOLOGY 2.2 LIMITATIONS 2.3 RESEARCH STRUCTURE

3.0 CHAPTER 3 - PHILOSOPHIES OF LOUIS KAHN 3.1 FORM AND DESIGN 3.1.1 KAHN - FORM AND DESIGN EXPLORATION OF GEOMETRY AND MATERIALS - SALK INSTITUTE & DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 3.1.2 KAHN - FORM AND DESIGN EXPLORATION OF THE HOLLOW COLUMN -TRENTION JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE (BATH HOUSE),YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY & PHILADELPHIA URBAN PLANNING

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| FORM & SPACE NARRATING SPATIAL IDENTITY BY LOUIS KAHN

3.2 SERVANT AND SERVED 3.2.1 CENTRALIZING HIERARCHY & ORDER - PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY 3.2.2 CENTRALIZING HIERARCHY & ORDER TRENTION JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE 3.2.3 CENTRALIZING HIERARCHY & ORDER - DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

3.3 SILENCE AND LIGHT 3.3.1 PARABOLOID DOME - DHAKA CIVIC BUILDING 3.3.2 SUN SHADING SOUTH RADBILL BUILDING 3.3.3 SLIDING PANELS - PHILIPS EXETER LIBRARY

3.4 SUMMARY

4.0 CHAPTER 4 - CASE STUDIES 4.1 FORM & DESIGN (geometry, symmetry, hollow column, material) 4.1.1 SCALE - HUMAN TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE THE YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY THE KIMBELL ART MUSEUM 4.1.2 SCALE - ROOM THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY THE PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY THE SALK INSTITUTE THE HURVA SYNAGOGUE 4.1.3 SCALE - STREET THE PHILADELPHIA CITY PLANNING 4.1.4 SUMMARY

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| FORM & SPACE NARRATING SPATIAL IDENTITY BY LOUIS KAHN

4.2 SERVANT & SERVED (centrality, monumentality, order) 4.2.1 SCALE - HUMAN THE MARGARET ESHERICK HOUSE TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE 4.2.2 SCALE - ROOM -

THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY THE PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY THE SALK INSTITUTE 4.2.3 SCALE - STREET THE PHILADELPHIA CITY PLANNING 4.2.4 SUMMARY

4.3 SILENCE & LIGHT (atrium, applied devices, skylights) 4.3.1 SCALE - HUMAN THE YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE THE KIMBELL ART MUSEUM THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT 4.3.2 SCALE - ROOM -

THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY THE PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY THE SALK INSTITUTE THE PHILADELPHIA PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, RADBILL BUILDING 4.3.3 SUMMARY

5.0 CHAPTER 5 - TABULATION 6.0 CHAPTER 6 - CONCLUSION 7.0 CHAPTER 7 - REFERENCES

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| FORM & SPACE NARRATING SPATIAL IDENTITY BY LOUIS KAHN

ABSTRACT Form and space are definitive architectural apertures in which form is defined as a definition of objects in space and vertical planes define a linear space coincident with an axis. Likewise spatial identity is defined as the outcome of an adherence to spiritual satisfaction, connected with a localize culture, firmly linked with a place or a locality. The intrinsic values of humanizing architecture is to cultivate spiritual satisfaction and sense of belonging. This plateau seem to have been forsaken by the rapid urbanization of cities and towns by developers where, optimization, efficiency and low cost construction are the only values emphasized. Disengaging spaces is a problematic relationship between people and the current state of architecture. Modern mass produced buildings are disengaging rather than engaging, exploiting emotions rather than evoking experience. By studying the philosophies of Louis I. Khan, a revered architect in his formal and spatial explorations, this study aims to study the translation of architectural components into form and space narrating spatial identity to better understand the importance of creating experiential space that engage users. A quantitative research methodology is carried out via case studies, logical mapping and observation of Louis I. Khan’s design works. The significance of this study aims to understand the relationship and importance between formal and spatial approaches with creating spatial identity and sense of belonging that may aid future civic and institutional designs to help foster supportive environment for architects, developers, designers, authorities, and academics. Keywords : form and space ; Louis I. Khan ; spatial identity ; sense of belonging ; spiritual satisfaction

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| FORM & SPACE NARRATING SPATIAL IDENTITY BY LOUIS KAHN

GLOSSARY : spiritual satisfaction Spiritual satisfaction can be defined with a few characteristic, the feeling of integration, unity, whole and organized. Feeling ego-less and fused with the world, and Feeling free of blocks, inhibitions, cautions, fears, doubts, controls, reservations and self-criticisms (Maslow, 1961) singularity the desire to express meets the possible (Louis Kahn, 1973) sense of belonging The human need, just like the need for food and shelter. Feeling that you belong is most important in seeing value in life and in coping with intensely painful emotions. (psychology today) spatial identity the outcome of an adherence to critical values, connected with a localize culture, firmly linked with a place or a locality.. All this is connected with the notion of "identity", the belonging of individuals to these groups and ideas, linked with the space.(Ulrich Best, 2002) Individuality separate existence. (Arbhunot, 1992) Humanistic values a rationalist outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Human Agreement a sense of rapport, of commonness, all bells ringing in unison – not needing to be understood by example but felt as an undeniable inner demand for a presence. It is an inspiration with the promise of the possible. (Louis Kahn, 1973)

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1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND STUDY 1.1.1 SCENARIO Disengaging spaces is a problematic relationship between people and the current state of architecture. Design once was focused on experience and emotions. Architecture was involved with a sense of spiritual satisfaction and wonder. It touched people with a sense of beauty, intimacy, and memory and offered an emotional platform, to which the human collective where everyone belong is better understood. Three reasons why architecture is not currently reaching this plateau and society can do to realign thinking with these more humanistic principles are as follows. The first was a transformation that happened at the end of the 17th century when scientific thinking rejected the interpretive and non tangible aspects of architecture, resulting in buildings that were no longer concerned with their relationship to humanity. Buildings became their own individual objects having little or no interest with the people they contained. Things that could no longer be measured, lost their place within the role of design and many of the existential factors which influence the creation of societies, lost traction. As a result the practice of design was transformed into a technological science focused on optimization, low cost, and efficiency and despite being important principles that should influence the design, architects’ may be placing too much emphasis on these. Buildings that once looked like the Parthenon, have settled looking like boxes. The development of an urban culture roots within privatization and individualism. Up until the 18th century, life occurred within the public realm is a form of relaxation, enjoyment, and social engagement. People enjoy being on the streets and it was the place where one felt connected to the greater social establishment that constituted their society. Society now see the public through a different set of eyes. Being in public is no longer desirable and architecture has started reflecting these principles. Creating exclusively private spaces, architecture used to engage the social complexities of society but shifted away from the public realm. Architecture that looked like boxes started feeling like prison.

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The third is the com-modification of architecture into a mode of branding. As architecture entered the service industry it became a marketing strategy and in so doing eliminated the potential for genuine emotions in response to creative design solutions. The design of fast-food chains, where hundreds of identical buildings spread across the world, resemble products more than they do the creation of societies. Society preserve beautiful historic architecture because rooted within its construction are the values and principles of that specific time period. Society invested in architecture and with that investment came character and identity of some of the major cities of today. Are today’s building worthy of preserving? Highly unlikely because buildings that felt like prison are being processed like bar codes now. The consideration of architecture as an emotional relationship. Julia Bermudez from the Catholic University of America conducted a research study, where over a thousand participants were asked to describe their most intimate architectural experience. More than half of the responses included the word emotional. If the most intimate architectural experience is described as emotional, why is it not priority to design it? If architecture is once again considered as an emotional relationship, society can once again rekindle the flame of architectural modern society. The consideration of architecture as a piece of craft. Modernism looked to reduce the uncentral aspects of architecture. But taking these reductionist principles and pushing them to absurdity, has sterilized architecture from a design process that fosters character. We often see sleek modernist buildings that hide all details so that the pure form of the building is uncompromised by the joints that create it. This type of thinking undermines the potential aesthetic beauty that comes with a beautiful material assembly. An item whose pieces came together in such a unique way, it almost seem poetic. In doing so, allow a relationship between the person viewing the architecture and the architecture itself.

.

Spatial identity is vital to promote spiritual satisfaction of users in a building to understand the human collective. As “identity space” which serves as a “rallying point” that “binds disparate people”.(Hubbard and Kitchin, 2006). To foster a supportive environment, the factors for sense of belonging and SANJEEVA RAO | 0330012 | DISSERTATION I |

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identity need to be understood and synthesized. A distinctive formal and spatial translation emerges out of history, particularity, and everyday lived experience. Place can be understood as fundamental in providing a locus of identity and sense of belonging among those who inhabit it (Hubbard and Kitchin, 2006). Based on reading materials of Identity, Memory and Place and Imagined Communities, it exerts importance of identity and sense of belonging in creating experiential spaces. Apart from sole imaginative, individual and collective sense of belonging are molded by a fulcrum of both material and symbolic manifestation of space.(Kelly Baker, 2012). A sense of community or belonging traverses both geographic and material borders has been championed by Benedict Anderson. Traditional sense of belonging to a place is supplanted by an increasingly expanded notion of what constitutes viable space as a rudiment for identification.(Benedict Anderson, 1983). This envisions form and space as a binding force which connect people to a place and through this shared sense of place, imaginatively to one another. Architectural components in formal and spatial narration are important in creating experiential and engaging spaces.

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1.1.2 LATE MODERNISM

.

Until the 18th century, during the classicism architecture, public

spaces was a space of relaxation, enjoyment, and allowed social engagement. People enjoy being in public and it was the place where one felt a sense of belonging to the greater human collective that constituted their society.

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Society now see the public through a different set of eyes. Modernism first emerged in the early twentieth century. However it was not until after the Second World War that it gained mass popularity. Modernist planning was implemented as a solution to the previous failure of architecture to meet basic social needs in the rapid need of dwellings. Modernist planning was a popular idea, and used as a solution to issues of optimization, efficiency and economy. Industrialization after the war results in an urban culture rooted within privatization and individualism. Being in public is no longer desirable and architecture has started reflecting these principles. Creating exclusively private spaces, architecture used to engage the social complexities of society but shifted away from the public realm. The movement could not adequately comprehend and cater for the social dynamics of family and community Late modernism evolved to answer this question. It is an architectural style that emerged in the late 80s. Late modernism encompasses the overall production of the most recent architecture made between the aftermath of World War II and the early years of the 21st century. The terminology often points to similarities between late modernism and post-modernism. Late modernism is the bridge between modernism and post-modernism. This movement was aimed at the revival of artistic craftsmanship as an antidote to the ugliness of mass production and dissemination of modern buildings as an antidote to the dehumanization of the industrial production process. It adheres to some architectural principles. The use of materials in their natural form : Honesty in Expression. The use of human scale

as the measuring stick : Humanism. Integrate structures with

their context : Critical Regionalism. Drawing elements from local vernacular : Balance with Tradition. Create public domains and convivial spaces : Balance with Community. Thus, late modernism marks the pioneering approach to bring humanistic values back into architecture. Therefore, architects from the late modernism movement were studied to understand their solutions and philosophies pertaining to spatial identity and one holistic architect was chosen to explore further into spatial identity

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1.1.3 LATE MODERN ARCHITECTS

Architects in this movement realized the importance of re-engaging spaces with people. Returning the humanistic values of a building was prioritized. Some of the architects who have in depth approaches of humanizing spaces are Louis I. Kahn, Philip Johnson, Sir Peter Cook, Alison

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and Peter Smithson, Cedric Price and Paul Rudolph amongst other late modern architects. Many of these architects have explored at many scales. Cedric Price focused on adaptive architecture in describing spatial identity. He mentions that aesthetics and design flexibility is derived as a theory to describe human activities. His Fun Palace configuration constitutes interactive spaces with space frames acknowledging the understanding of the human scale. However, there are no detailed explorations in the scales of urban and component. Paul Rudolph on the other hand, takes a stand as a monumentalist. He expressed his spatial identity ideas on human response as 6 determinants of form through function and psychology. They are the environment of the building, the functional aspect, regional, climatic, landscape and natural lighting conditions, materials, psychological demands and spirit of time. His projects in the Orange County Government centre and Lower Manhattan Expressways, he uses interconnecting spaces on vertical and horizontal levels expressing circulation differently to evoke human experience at the scales of building and urban. However his focus on environment and spaces is unclear at a smaller and component level of architecture. Alison and Peter Smithson take a more Brutalist approach to their design in tackling the issue of spatial identity. They focus on bridging the gap between man and architecture with materials and form. Their Hunstantson building uses exposed brick wall and joist ceiling, showcasing the purity of materials and form while allowing natural light filling each contour of the material. This expresses the characteristics of the material hence engaging people to their building via vision and touch. They however work at a very intimate scale of components, hence their philosophical exploration at building and urban scales are limited and non existent. Sir Peter Cook describes evoking spatial identity as revamping existing typology into extreme exploration in order to excite users. In an urban scale, he describes the theoretical translation of a mundane street of an English town into a creative metamorphosis of urbanization. On a smaller scale, his spatial explorations is shown in the Art Institute Chicago having expressive components with different configurations. However there are no specific ideas or literature behind each components evoking spatial identity. SANJEEVA RAO | 0330012 | DISSERTATION I |

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Philip

Johnson

understands

the

traditionalist

method

of

architecture. He translates spatial identity as a social responsibility with 7 crutches of architecture. They are, the crutch of history, the crutch of pretty drawing, the crutch of utility and usefulness, the crutch of comfort, the crutch of cheapness, the crutch of serving the client and finally the crutch of structure. He explored the soreq columns to excite users and the glass house with exposed brick wall chimney. These are explored at component and building scales, however he did work on theoretical urban planning such as the Philadelphia urban planning. Despite so, he takes a modernist, utilitarian and optimized approach instead to the urban level. Louis Kahn, in terms of scale has explored his approach from component, building to urban scales. The human agreement, the room and the street is his narration of scales exploring spatial identity for a better human collective. His utilitarian approach in expressing a holistic review of architecture allows spatial identity. At a component scale, he uses exposed concrete and brick to show the emotions of a building. He also explores hollow columns that houses services while acting as structural support. On a building scale, his Dhaka National Assembly and Philips Exeter Library studies the ideas of hierarchical spaces focusing on spatial identity. On an urban scale, he expands his philosophy for the Philadelphia Urban Plan by enclosing the main tower with supportive car park buildings. It has its own supportive environment, where a larger human collective is achieved even at an urban scale. The availability of literature review, projects, drawings and scales of designs, makes Louis Kahn a suitable candidate to observe. His methods are analyzed and synthesized. His architectural philosophies and principles are studied in translating architectural components into form and space narration of spatial identity.

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1.1.4 LOUIS ISADORE KAHN

One such architect that translate architectural components into experiential and engaging spaces is Louis Isadore Khan. His works marry architectural components and spatial narration. It creates an identity of space evoking an engaging sense of belonging to the user. He emphasizes on the art of building. Kahn created a style that was monumental and monolithic. His heavy buildings for the most part do not hide their weight, their materials, or their assembly. Louis Kahn’s works are monumental beyond modernism. Famous for his built works, his provocative proposals that remained unbuilt, and his teaching, Kahn was one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century. He received the AIA Gold Medal and the RIBA Gold Medal award. At the time of his death he was considered by some as “America’s foremost living architect.”

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His disregard of typical space typology and forming space as it’s own entity, instill spatial identity and evokes experience among the building users. Kahn expected that the spaces he created would encourage three kinds of activities—living, working, and learning. (George H. Marcus, 2009). Yet, though he created a set of distinct rooms, he did not necessarily isolate their functions. Louis Khan developed an arrangement of rooms that would foster human interaction, hoping that his interiors would encourage circulation between the rooms. Thus his spaces would instill a sense of community among their users, creating what he described as a “society of rooms.” (George H. Marcus,971). Louis Khan mentioned that the room of the mind can interpret as a place inhabited by the mind. It encourages thought and reflection, and from this, the ideas for new buildings evolve. Kahn accommodated the realm of the intellect—learning, commemoration, and appreciation—in his innovative designs for libraries, memorials, and museums.

The philosophies of Louis

Khan is synthesized from reading materials of Changing symbols of public life : Louis khan’s religious and civic projects 1944-1966 and architectural culture at the end of modern movement. (Ksiazek, Sarah Williams 1995). Reading materials suggest that a supportive environment helps in foster character, pro-social attitudes and positive behaviour whilst curbing social issues in a society. The important factors in creating a supportive environment include evoking a sense of belonging and identity among users to their environment. Understanding the philosophies of Louis Khan, creating spaces that encourage living, working and learning, enables a deeper understanding of experiential space translation using formal and spatial architectural components. Louis Kahn accommodated the realm of the self which is the intellect learning, the understanding which is the commemoration and the appreciation. His philosophy is embedded in his designs of libraries, memorials and museums. (Ksiazek, Sarah Williams 1995). He rendered a speech in University of Pennsylvania, a room of the mind interprets as a place inhabited by the mind. It encourages thought and reflection, and from this, the ideas for new buildings evolve. Kahn expected spaces would encourage three kinds of activities - living, working and learning. His idea of “society of rooms” SANJEEVA RAO | 0330012 | DISSERTATION I |

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notes that space arrangement should foster human interaction. Interiors would encourage circulation between rooms, hence promoting a sense of community among users. (Louis Kahn, 1971). Therefore Kahn’s disregard of typical space typology derives from the need to evoke experience and identity among the audience of Kahn’s designs (George H. Marcus, 2009). Studying his philosophies ensures a better understanding on how to create experiential and engaging spaces that evokes identity and creates a supportive environment. This study is a diachronic analysis of Louis Kahn’s ideas on spatial identity of public architecture in Kahn’s transitional years from 1944-1966 with a synchronic reconstruction of the discourse through which Kahn shaped his philosophies. The study demonstrates that underlying the dramatic formal explorations in Kahn’s vocabulary - from a canonical modernism, to Buckminster Fuller-inspired space frames, to an abstracted historicism - was a consistent social critique. Kahn sought to make monuments that inspire a sense of communal identification and collective sense of belonging with the narration of spaces. Each chapter includes the critical analysis of projects in which such themes emerge. Kahn’s explorations in these projects with themes of community and identity generated one of the central formal tensions between the need for symbolic resonance and the drive to create “open”, non-rhetorical forms that could be apprehended by audiences. Such interpretation of Kahn’s public projects places his work, in terms of both ideology and style, within the tradition of the modern movement.

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1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT The intrinsic values of humanizing architecture is to cultivate spiritual satisfaction and sense of belonging. It is a sense of beauty, intimacy, and memory. It offers an emotional platform, to understanding the human collective where everyone belongs. This plateau seem to have been forsaken by the rapid urbanization of cities and towns by developers where, optimization, efficiency and low cost construction are the only values emphasized. Disengaging spaces is a problematic relationship between people and the current state of architecture. Buildings are rarely evoking experience but rather exploiting emotions. The society loses its public realm to individuality and privatization, disregarding a greater social establishment, where buildings that looked like the Parthenon settles for a box. Architecture reflecting this notion strays a society away from a healthy and supportive environment and hence buildings that look like a box feels like a prison. Repetitive spatial typologies disengage rather than engage users, as the fast food chain phenomenon makes buildings that already feel like a prison are processed like a bar codes. Society will no longer understand the need to invest in the preservation of current buildings in major cities as they no longer have a sense of connection or belonging towards them. Are today’s building worthy of preserving? What is the promise of a building creating spatial identity to reflect the spiritual satisfaction of users? Why is it not a priority to design for the human agreement? What are the architectural components and philosophies that may effectively humanize form and space into spatial identity for people?

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1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION What are the narrations of spatial identity through form and space in the design philosophies of Louis I. Kahn?

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1.4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1.4.1 AIM This dissertation aims to study the translation of architectural components into form and space to narrate spatial identity by Louis I. Khan to understand the importance of creating experiential spaces for spiritual satisfaction. 1.4.2 OBJECTIVES 1) To explore Literature Review on Louis Kahn’s philosophies in design 2) To analyze noted philosophies in Case studies pertaining to design works of Louis Kahn. 3) To synthesis and diagram relationship between Louis Kahn design philosophies with formal and spatial identity.

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1.5 SIGNIFICANCE AND CONTRIBUTION OF THE RESEARCH The significance of this study is to understand and synthesis the translation of Louis Khan’s philosophy in narrating spatial identity and the relationship with spiritual satisfaction and sense of belonging of people. This may help guide architects, developers, designers, authorities, and academics to foster supportive environments in future developments. Many articles discuss the importance of sense of belonging and its relation to experiential space, however there is a lack of reading material on implementing architectural components in evoking a sense of belonging as an experiential intervention. Louis Khan’s engaging spaces were discussed in Arthur Ross’s gallery of Louis Khan : Making a Room. Louis Khan’s buildings functioned with “served” (main) and “servant” (subsidiary) spaces. They also come with rich story of his interior spaces—connective, contemplative, and at the human scale engage users. As discussed in Identity, Memory and Place, Peter Geschiere mentions that the most authentic form of belonging is the experience of being rooted, hence persistently influencing individual and collective identity. Distinctive form and space that emerges from everyday lived experience can be understood as fundamental in providing a locus of identity and a sense of belonging among those who inhabit it (Hubbard and Kitchin, 2006). Supportive environment is attributed to the effectiveness of high-community spaces to their capacity to satisfy user’s basic psychological needs for safety, belonging, autonomy, and competence (Deci, Vallerand, Pelletier, & Ryan 1991). A substantial body of research indicates a civic environment fosters motivation to achieve, promote user engagement and bonding to community (Eric Schaps, 2005). Hence further implying the importance on the study of Louis Khan’s philosophies in relation to formal and spatial identity and fostering supportive and experiential environment that promotes spiritual satisfaction and sense of belonging.

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2.0 RESEARCH DESIGN 2.1 METHODOLOGY AND METHODS A Quantitative methodology is used to achieve the aim of this study. First, literature review is done to determine and define architectural components. Following on, case studies on different civic projects of Louis Khan will be studied. Some of the significant studies are The Salk Institute, La Jolla, California (1959-1965), a campus composed of three clusters it was dubbed as one of Khan’s defining works. The second is First Unitarian Church, Rochester, New York (1959-1969),playing with natural light and materials, it is dubbed as one of the greatest twentieth century religious structures by Paul Goldberger. The third project is the Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban in Dhaka, Bangladesh (1962 - 1974) which was Khan’s last project and dubbed as Khan’s magnum opus. The fourth project is Philips Exeter Academy Library, Exeter, New Hampshire (1965 - 1972), which won Khan the Twenty-five year award by AIA. The fifth project is the Richards Medical Research Laboratories, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (1957-1965), it was dubbed to be the breakthrough project for Khan and plant the expression of served and servant spaces. There are other projects studied to further elaborate the design philosophies of Louis I. Kahn. These project were chosen based on its complexity and typology of being a civic building that is a close narration and well elaborated design works of Louis Kahn which encompasses all of his philosophies in narrating successful formal and spatial narration of identity. They were also chosen for their accolades and notable design exploration. Louis Khan’s design philosophies will be observed and tabulated thematically. Upon studying these projects in detail, a logical mapping shall be produced co-relating architectural components with types of experiential spaces. Once the mapping have been finalized it is then observed as design strategies suitable for civic and institution designs which will be then proposed as design solutions to answer aim and research questions.

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2.2 LIMITATIONS AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES The dissertation expects to synthesis Louis Khan’s works and philosophies and map them into architectural components of form and space as induced experience and its co-relation to spatial identity (the human agreement). Many architects have explored spatial identity, especially in the late modernism movement. Louis Kahn has many literature reviews on his philosophies. He is a lecturer thus, his philosophies are backed by his own sayings and there are many available case studies. However, visiting the chosen case studies are a limitation as the time frame for the dissertation and monetary constraints curbs the case studies to be analyzed through literature review. As Louis Kahn has expressed many philosophies, his main philosophies pertaining to spatial identity are studied and interpreted until the idea of spatial identity is understood. The mapping needs to be clear and concise with definitive aspects of architectural components and experiential spaces and how it co-relates to spiritual satisfaction for users. The outcome will also include possible design strategies that translate a space as an engaging environment and their factors pertaining to Louis Kahn’s philosophies. However so, factoring the time frame of the study and the distance, the study is limited to literature review and case studies without any site visits. The study narrows down to design philosophies of Louis Khan alone as the paper aims to synthesis his work pertaining to spatial identity. The paper provides an interpretive framework of architectural components and spatial identity in a map and table form.

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3.0 LITERATURE REVIEW PHILOSOPHIES OF LOUIS I. KAHN

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3.1 FORM AND DESIGN Architecturally, Louis I. Kahn developed a few key philosophies that transformed his designs as utilitarian and humanized architecture. His philosophies were critical formation of his mature philosophy and their impact on his own development were lasting. His devised architecture became models for his later, non parochial works and his fearless use of historical references, reverence for nature and use of pantheistic of form and design. His first key philosophy was “FORM AND DESIGN”. Kahn (1955) quoted “design was the basic, immutable law that governs the organization of natural structures”. He narrated the concepts of the eternal form are similar to what Carl Jung called the collective unconscious and the archetypes. Collective unconscious refers to the realm that transcends the individual unconscious and is made up of archetypes. These archetypes are patterns or forms modifying the eternal themes of human experience.(Lobell, 1979). Kahn’s ability to absorb the look and feel of architecture has obscured his interest in the beginning projects with a firm understanding site’s history, the client’s hierarchy within a community and the vernacular heritage. Kahn’s rational technique helped him to contextualize connections with the site, invigorating modernism in a way not envisioned by practitioner in the 1920s. (Susan G. Solomon 1997). Kahn in 1950s mentioned the duality of “FORM AND DESIGN”, reacting to

function-specific and dehumanized programme. The tension

between an abstract, all encompassing use was the definition of Form and the implementation of that notion into a physical design and building was Design. In

the

book

Architectural

Hieroglyphics

of

Louis

Kahn

architecture as logos, Kahn elaborates the importance of form and design to translate spatial identity. This evokes spiritual satisfaction that transcend the rational expression of utilitarian and structural excellence. (Burton, Joseph Arnold 1983). In The Making of a Room, Louis Kahn took this notion from the bottom up approach by adopting the idea that the room was the basis of architecture. Each purposeful spaces were generated by his idea of the building plan. His

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forte of this philosophy would encourage three types of activities - living, working and learning. His approach were to foster human interaction and foster circulation between rooms. Hence instilling a sense of community among the users as he described as “society of rooms” (Louis Kahn 1969). 3.1.1 - GEOMETRY, SYMMETRY AND MATERIALS “If you think of Brick, you say to Brick, What do you want Brick? And Brick says to you, “I like and Arch”. And if u 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, 1971) Transcribed from the 2003 documentary “My Architect: A son’s journey by Nathaniel Kahn” SALK INSTITUTE Kahn’s application of geometry is based on symmetrical forms. This can be seen in the Salk Institute, where the geometry is a reminiscent of Mandala, a natural order representation.(Gast,1998). Geometry persisted in Kahn’s design as did expressive use of masonry, structure to import a feeling of belonging in architectural mass. Kahn’s pursuit of idealized geometric order informed his sense of history from Greece and Rome. (Brownlee, 2005). Kahn’s form and design revolved a lot on monumentality as well as humanizing the architecture scale. He proclaimed “Monumentality in architecture may be defined as a quality, a spiritual quality inherent in a structure which conveys the feeling of its eternity, that it cannot be added or changed (Latour, 1991). This idea revolves around Kahn’s classicism approach to architecture.

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THE INTERIOR OF SALK INSTITUTE SHOWING CONCRETE BLOCKS IN TYPICAL GEOMTERY

THE SYMMETRY OF THE SALK INSTITUTE BRINGS ORDER TO FORM AND DESIGN

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THE HEAVY CONCRETE PANELS ARE NOT HIDDEN YET PROMOTES CIRCULATION.

THE BASIC GEOMETRIC ELEVATIONS AND PLAN OF THE INSTITUTION

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DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

There are some highly recognizable forms, those are simple and geometrically regular, such as the platonic solids, adapt readily to subtractive treatment. These forms will retain their formal identities if portions of their volumes are removed without deteriorating their edges, comers and overall profile. Forms can be subtracted completely within, partially by other interlocked forms; ambiguity regarding a form's original identity will result if the portion removed from its volume erodes its edges and drastically alters its profile. National Assembly Building, Dhaka -is a perfect example of wise addition of service forms with the main served form. Spatial Tension has been created here by placing two forms relatively close to each other and they are shearing a common visual trait such as the same facing concrete texture wrapping marble bands around both the interior and exterior wall.

DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY GEOMETRIC EXPLORATIONS

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3.1.2 KAHN - FORM AND DESIGN EXPLORATION OF THE HOLLOW COLUMN SCALE - COMPONENT, SPACE, URBAN COMPONENT - TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE “Today, we must build with hollow stones…the nature of space is further characterized by the minor spaces that serve it. Storage rooms, service rooms and cubicles must not be partitioned areas of a single space structure, they must be given their own structure.” - Louis Kahn. Kahn’s explorative design of form heavily relied on materials and geometric shapes. He took many inspirations from the great pyramids and the roman ruins of pantheons and coliseum. His form development in the mid 1950s explored his personal examination of their intrinsic meaning and social value, a pursuit for human civilization of communication and interaction towards spiritual association. Kahn envisioned a space which was an evocative monumentality of basic geometry. Kahn’s exploration of geometry were in many scales, some in elevations and plans of his design. His primary concept of a hollow column is derived from expressing that a column need not to be merely a functional support, instead it can be a paradigm function of hiding services in which the column serves a greater purpose for itself and the space it supports. This hollow column idea to tie back to the spatial quality and spiritual satisfaction of users are described in many scales. In an architectural component of a hollow column, Kahn expressed this form in the Bath house of the Trenton Jewish Community Centre 1954-1959.

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TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE BATH HOUSE 1954-1959 PLAN

THE ROOF SITTING ON THE SERVICE HOLLOWED COLUMNS

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The Bath house has hollow columns which serves a greater purpose than just acting as a support for the roof. Following the geometry of the design, the squares were repeated on the pavilion’s external corners as a support for the roof and act as storage spaces. (Sarah Williams, Ksiazek 1995). Each column is hollowed to house services in which the column plays an important role of architecture. Opening up spaces for experiential use and the hidden services does not hinder users and distract. “The Trenton Bath House is derived from a concept of space order in which the hollow columns supporting the pyramid roof distinguish the spaces that serve from those being served. The 30’x30’ spaces under the roofs remain undivided and the 8’x8’ hollow columns provide the needs of smaller spaces.” - Louis I. Kahn. SPACE - YALE UNIVERSITY OF ART GALLERY A further elaboration of a hollow column acting as an experiential space for spiritual satisfaction is elaborated in a larger scale of space. In the Yale University Art Gallery, Kahn designed a hollow column that houses the staircase, in which he was able to explore light and shadow play.

He

envisioned even a transitional space such as a staircase needs to evoke emotions, hence covering the staircase in a hollow column, he successfully allowed the exploration of this concept. The concrete column blocks any opening on the elevation of the stairway and only allows natural light to flood in from up above through a triangular concrete ceiling. This allows a transitional space like a stairway to be designed as an experiential space continuing the transition of spaces for users.

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THE STAIRWAY IN A HOLLOW COLUMN TO ALLOW LIGHT AND EVOKE MEANING TO EVEN A TRANSITIONAL SPACE.

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URBAN - PHILADELPHIA CITY CENTRE URBAN PLANNING Kahn did not only focus on the concept of hollow column in his philosophy of form and design within the scale of a support column nor a service staircase, however expanded it to an urban scale in his City Centre of Philadelphia planning. Kahn expressed functional hierarchy provides order. His ideas in platonic geometry can be seen in the city planning of Philadelphia. Creating a centralized space for the civic centre and surrounding it with street and parking to create “order of movement”, Kahn envisioned his hollow column concept on an urban scale. (Reed, Peter Shedd, 1989). Kahn’s principle is embedded in every scale of his design as he mentioned “an architect can build a house and build a city in the same breath..”. Kahn’s civic centre was a primary symbol of public association and as a place of memory. His centralized planning of the city by surrounding the center city with expressways and parking towers, was a symbolic wall to project the city within. This is a narration of his hollow column concept similarly depicted by that of medieval walled castles as a metaphor. The centralized plan, as exemplified by the concentric walled city, became one of his preferred formal solutions - the hollow column.

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THE CARPARK WITH A CENTRALIZED FORM AS THE BUILDING MIMICKS A HOLLOW COLUMN

THE CARPARK AND STREET SURROUNDING THE MAIN CITY TOWER MIMICKING A LARGER CONCEPTUAL HOLLOW COLUMN.

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3.2 SERVANT AND SERVED Bachelard’s theory suggests an example of space, which is deep intimate and simple, visualizes congruence with values of being, as everything in this space - human being and perceived elements in space - is in accordance with its true being. It is fundamental that space is not abstract, yet space ca be better understood in its phenomenological sense as it is full of life. (Norberg-Schulz 1988). Kahn’s approach to spatial design was to relate something very essential. Kahn worked on expressing the essential directly without separating from the existential. His essential spaces are described in terms of human inspirations. (Susan Noormhammodi, 2012). “In us, inspiration to express, inspiration to question, inspiration to learn, inspiration to question to love, these brings to man his institutions, The architect is the maker of their spaces” (Latour, 1991). Louis Kahn revolves around nature of space to create identity and sense of belonging that focuses on commonalities in human nature. Pertaining to the needs of his clients and by taking into consideration of architectural community’s prevailing understanding with architecture. Kahn was fast to develop an important philosophy of “Servant” and “Served” concept of space. His modernist approach to finding solutions led him to explore hierarchical, functionally defined spaces and the integrity of individual rooms. (Susan G. Solomon 1997) He separated the primary “served” spaces from a subsidiary, but equally well defined “servant” spaces in which accommodated supporting needed spaces. Kahn indicated a certain paradigm by the term “nature of space”. Space in this concept should be in harmony with its function and respect every part its inner characters. Space also should be humanized based on inspirations such as to meet, learn, and well-being of user. “What impresses Norberg-Schulz about Kahn’s work is the architect’s ability to make timeless human values concrete in the spatial organizations of his temporal designs” (Burton, 1998). Kahn’s space designs are often centralized as it is not only defined by strong geometry and massive enclosures by using thick masonry walls. Kahn’s spaces always accepts light in its own particular way (Koyama, 1983). It is clear that Kahn concludes his space as a transformation of place in respect to its identity.

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SPATIAL NARRATION FROM HUMAN SCALE TO SPACES

Spatial identity here refers to not only to the distinctiveness of individualize spaces but also the sameness of different places. In this sense, identity and sense of belonging is essential human qualities which are analyzed as natural human needs. The needs that are effective in increasing spatial identity by signifying the sameness of different places. Louis Kahn’s philosophies narrate clearly the values of being or natural human needs and desires are the emphasis of spatial identity.

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3.2.1 CENTRALIZING HIERARCHY & ORDER - PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY Khan’s design in Philips Exeter Academy (1967-1972) in New Hampshire narrates a centrality design that meets the function of the library. It serves a great space for readers and librarians. In this central space, it becomes an invitation for users to use the space with a facade of books internally. The massive circle subtraction of the walls showcases the scale of the building within and the facade of books narrating its function.

SECTIONAL VIEW OF THE HIERARCHY OF SPACES TO THE FACADE.

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THE MAIN LOBBY SURROUNDED BY AN ARRAY OF BOOKS AND PERIMETERED BY SEATING AREAS.

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3.2.2 CENTRALIZING HIERARCHY & ORDER - TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE “The Trenton Bath House gave me the first opportunity to work out the separation between the serving and served spaces. It was a very clear and simple problem. It was solved with absolute purity. Every space is accounted for, there is no redundancy. I used them as a maze, a baffle, and I used the hollow column itself as a storage area. I used it for toilets, which must be enclosed. And I found, during the expression of this very simple building, the concept of the serving and served spaces… I thought of a support as being a hollow column which can be used. That’s the only place where I could put the services. So the source of support, the column, became the place which harbored the service of the building.” Louis I. Kahn. The large space demands a large span, this identifies one of the order in the hierarchy of spaces which make the connecting building from the small servant space of significance. The Bath house served as a guide for the entire Jewish Community Centre where by it’s compartmented spaces was a model for integrating services into a building. This principle was the servant spaces supporting the served Bath House function. The Bath house was rotated forty five degrees as a diamond pavilion which comprised of octagonal cells bound on four of its eight sides by smaller squares. The central section containing the entrance was composed of octahedron arranged in two lines of three pavilions each. This creates a transition space and allows nature to fill the pockets of space, hence reconnecting to the Bath House.

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THE OCTAHEDRON COMPOSITION OF STRUCTURE TO ELABORATE THE SERVANT AND SERVED SPACES.

3.2.3 CENTRALIZING HIERARCHY & ORDER - DHAKA CIVIC BUILDING Kahn planned the design in five major components which were to be placed in a 'necklace formation'. These comprise the National Assembly block, the center-piece of the entire project and containing nine blocks, the south block or main plaza, the Presidential Square, the east hostels, and the west residential block. The layout of the complex is based on a main north-south axis, with the Assembly Chamber acting as the focal point of interest and attention. This was achieved by designing a monumental building for the Assembly itself, and by placing the smaller buildings on diagonals to the east and west of it. A man-made lake, which they face, separates them from the secretariat. Hence the supportive spaces act as servant to the served space which is the Assembly Chamber with the highest hierarchy as a focal point. This transition narrates the order of spaces in which the most important space is centralized while the servant spaces surround it.

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THE HIERARCHY OF SPACE FORMING A CENTRALIZED ORDER.

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3.3 SILENCE AND LIGHT

Louis I. Kahn narrated the use of “SILENCE AND LIGHT” to express his belief in the intersection of ideal objectives and real solutions could result in an artistic creation that is very much sanctified. The balance of context, content and nature of pragmatic use with lofty goals focused on how his solutions affected the people who experienced them. This further stern-ed his architecture into spatial identity for the users. Kahn forged his own integration of secular and spiritual humanism (Susan G. Solomon 1997). Kahn’s ideology of nature is not limited to the formal aspects of it, rather it is a more concentrated approach on natural human needs and desires. (Norberg-Schulz 1988).

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The theory of silence and light exemplifies the origin of creative expression within the human mind. The idea, a richly lyrical product of intellectual maturity and confidence, was the fusion of several threads of thought, which continued to develop until Kahn’s death in 1974. Within the content of this idea, Kahn had seen light as the meaning of expression given by nature, and silence as a desire of expression welling up from the collective unconscious. The points of their meeting create the inspiration that lead to the creation of work in art (Tyng, 1984). He used devices ranging from horizontal and vertical elements to textile strips until he designed more sophisticated solutions and integrate structure itself to be a light source. “. . . we are living in a time when the sun is temporarily suspended from serving man. Somehow even the sun was under suspicion. All our institutions were to be reviewed. Nothing that existed was taken with any reverence. This can be thought to be a catastrophic thing. And it could have been a catastrophic thing in my mind, if I hadn’t thought of this. The white light and the black shadow filled my mind with great possibility. White light is not in nature. There is not white light, nor is there black shadow. I knew the sun was still shining. I also knew that it wasn’t death, nor harmful, but something truly inspiring. I also knew that the white light would turn yellow, only a brighter yellow; that the black shadow would turn blue, a brighter blue. Because people will not take things as they are, and in the deepest sense they distrust everything until it filters through the mind as being true. Therefore those who want to write poetry without words.” - Louis Kahn

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3.3.1 PARABOLOID DOME DHAKA CIVIC BUILDING Complex Dome structure as Kahn’s great ability to work with skylight grew more sophisticated, he altered his skylight prototype from a single opening to complex dome structures. The roof structure of Assembly Hall in National Assembly at Dhaka was his last and great solution as a skylight.In 1962, he designed the National Assembly Building in Dhaka Bangladesh (1962-74) as a dense, multilateral, concentric agglomeration of walled spaces clustered around the central Assembly Chamber: press offices, secondary meeting halls, and a mosque. The minor units are also multilateral, admitting light through geometric cutouts in their solid, forbidding walls which suggest an austere, overpowering image of a fortress enclosed by rings of walls and towers. Kahn in his mature work used masonry (especially reinforced concrete) almost exclusively for their massive, rugged qualities.The interior of the Assembly Building is divided into three zones. The Central zone is the area of the Assembly Hall. The middle zone provides inner circulation which gives access to committee rooms and the library. The outer zone is the area of the offices, Party Rooms, Lounges, Tea Rooms and Restaurant, the Garden Entrance, and the Entrance of the Mosque. The Assembly Hall was the heart of the building. Kahn describes his concept of the hollow column as an architectural element beyond the scope of other architectural elements; light from above is for him a significant sign for the irrational and the transcendent. Kahn worked many years to find the best solution for the roof of the hall. After ten years of working in 1972, the final roof structure was designed as an umbrella form (hyperbolic paraboloid) which spans the octagon of the Assembly Hall on extremely fragile-seeming support points. The periphery between the walls and the paraboloid dome becomes “ring of light”. To provide more light for the Assembly Hall, Kahn installed additional windows on the outside wall of the “ring of light", however they are covered by white textile strips to prevent glare.The National Assembly building was one of Louis I. Kahn’s most magnificent buildings by the means of its form and manipulation of light. Kahn accomplished to provide natural light in the Assembly Hall and connected the legislators to the rhythm of the Sun. SANJEEVA RAO | 0330012 | DISSERTATION I |

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LIGHT FLOODING INTO THE INTERIOR SPACES

PARABOLOID DOME WITH LIGHT WELLS FOR SUN LIGHT PENETRATION

THE DESIGN OF THE PARABOLOID LIGHT DOME AND OTHER LIGHT SPACES IN THE BUILDING

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3.3.2 SUN SHADING SOUTH RADBILL BUILDING Sunshade Elements Louis I. Kahn started to consider the role of light in his architecture by the 1940s. The very first attempt to use a device for sunlight was in the Weiss House, built in 1947. He first started to use sunshade elements with transversal wooden louvers at the facade to provide a device that would control the amount of light reaching the interior. Kahn adapted the same idea with a more sophisticated way in the South Radbill Building, Psychiatric Hospital; Pennsylvania designed between 1948 and 1954. The project designed as a Y solution which was functionally superior to others. The design is based on concrete -skeleton construction with a row of columns arranged along the central axis. The strip windows were used for the openings and ventilation was provided by pivoting open the top-hung windows from the bottom out ward. To protect the strip windows from direct sunlight, he extended the slab on both south and west sides and hollowed inside with wooden cubes. These light filters are created in such a dimension that at particular times of the day and only a fraction of sunlight will fall on the facade and create an interesting pattern of light on the window surfaces.

THE SUN SHADING CREATING AN EXCITING SHADOW PLAY ON THE WALLS

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3.3.3 SLIDING PANELS PHILIPS EXETER LIBRARY Horizontal Sliding Panels For Kahn, libraries have to have a more sophisticated design scheme than any other type of building. “Glare is bad in the library; wall space is important, little spaces where you can adjourn with a book are tremendously important.. ,”These words show how important features a library should have according to him. In Exeter Library, he fulfilled what he has said about libraries. The brick and concrete building has two story window openings installed between pillars, feature lower sections made of wood panels. The pair of small windows illuminates reading niches where reader can shut the sliding panels to close off the distraction of the view to the park. The intimacy

of

the reading

areas

contrasts

with

the

instrumentality of the central hall. Instead of the "quiet, cool light" of the central hall and the "utilitarian light" of the stacks, the visitor finds here, in the reading area, plenty of windows providing "warm and inviting" natural light. Each of the perimeter study carrels features a tiny window that offers a view outdoors because, as Kahn recognized, "occasional distraction is as important in reading as concentration”10. This movement to the reading area completes Kahn's statement that the reader should be able to take the book to the light, as the study carrels are bathed in natural light. Meanwhile, overhead windows also provide light for the interior reading areas and mezzanine-level study carrels.

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THE INTERIOR LOBBY WITH MULTIPLE PENETRATION OF NATURAL LIGHT

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SITTING AREA AGAINST THE EXTERIOR FACADE TO ALLOW MAXIMUM NATURAL LIGHT

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3.4 SUMMARY Based on the literature review, Louis Kahn focuses on three philosophies to translate spatial identity and narrate spiritual satisfaction within his designs. Architectural elements constitutes the philosophy and ideas. The mutual relationship between all three philosophies results in a successful interpretation

of

geometry(platonic

spatial

identity.

shapes),

For

instance,

symmetry(Palladian

the

elements

axiality),

of

hollow

column(monumental void) and materials(exposed honesty) constitutes the idea of form and design. On the other hand, elements of skylights(openings), atriums and applied devices(shading devices) constitute the idea of silence and light. Finally the idea of servant and served includes elements of monumentality, centrality and order(hierarchy). The mutual factor of form and design with silence and light is the components supporting spatial identity. Form and design with servant and served is expressed with scales of design supporting spatial identity. Whilst servant and served with silence and light is made up by the composition supporting spatial identity. In a holistic and mutual incorporation of every components into the philosophies enables successful approach to evoke spatial identity. Thus, a successful spatial identity is the ability of a building or a space invoking singularity among people and preventing individuality.

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READING AND REFERENCE MATERIALS.

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4.0 CASE STUDIES 4.1 PHILOSOPHY : FORM AND DESIGN Kahn (1955) quoted “design was the basic, immutable law that governs the organization of natural structures�. He narrated the concepts of the eternal form are similar to what Carl Jung called the collective unconscious and the archetypes. Collective unconscious refers to the realm that transcends the individual unconscious and is made up of archetypes. These archetypes are

patterns

or

forms

modifying

the

eternal

themes

of

human

experience.(Lobell, 1979). Kahn regarded Form as something which defined the essence of architecture; Design is the circumstantial manifestation of such a Form. SCALE - HUMAN, ROOM, STREET 4.1.1 HUMAN Components - hollow column, geometry, symmetry, materials TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE The bath house most prominant design idea lies in its structural hollow columns. The hollow column intead of just providing support for the roof, it also houses bathrooms and other services. This approach allows a more useful function for a structural element as well as providing an open design,. The spatial identity provides privacy within its columns and openness in the common spaces for mutual congregration.

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THE YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY The Yale University Art Gallery houses its stairway in the cylindrical hollow concrete column. The transition from a rectangular large room into a smaller closed concrete tube creates a transition of experience, solidifying the spatial identity as an experiential gallery. It showcases the importance of every part of the design in the gallery.

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Components - hollow column, geometry, symmetry, materials TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE The Trenton Jewish community Centre’s bath house is made up of standard geometrical shapes of triangles (pyramid) for the pyramid roof, rectangles (cuboid) for the service columns and brick walls, and circle (eclipse) for the central landscape. The pyramid roof is inspired by the great pyramids as the distinctive brick work is inspired by the greeks Parthenon. They are a symbol of the lineage of the Jews that came to America during the post-war period. The spatial identity narrates subtle historical appreciation.

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THE YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY The Yale University Art Gallery is a series of triangular staircase tucked into a hollow cylindrical column, and covered by a triangular ceiling. The cylindrical hollow tube is a unique modification as usually service spaces have four walls. The triangular flow of steps also creates a different experience for user and fits in a hollow concrete tube. This expresses that even a transitional space can provide experience for people.

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Components - hollow column, geometry, symmetry, materials TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE Each of these geometry are positioned symmetrically mirroring either side. The columns are symmetrical to its neighbouring columns as their service openings too are opposing each other. This routes people in a clear circulation without confusion adding value to the spatial identity.

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THE YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY The Yale University Art Gallery houses its stairway in the centre of a rectangular room, the symmetry of the interior provides focus towards the feature staircase. Unlike spaces that expresses room and hides services, the approach here is inverted. However it enhances the spatial identity of the room as a holistic art gallery.

THE KIMBELL ART MUSEUM The Kimbell Art Museum, uses paraboloid domes and arches that reflect longitudinal spaces. This symmetry encourages movement as the spaces are meant for dense circulation. Its provides a single point perspective as users walk through the museum, providing a vanishing point, guiding circulation.

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Components - hollow column, geometry, symmetry, materials TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE The exposed brick work and the exposed underside of the pyramid roof with basic engineering principles adds value and characteristics to the bath house and allowing a distinct spatial identity of a raw and exposed bath house from materials to openness of space.

THE YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY The exposed steel steps and raw concrete column allows honesty of materials, expressing the construction details of the architectural component.

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THE KIMBELL ART MUSEUM The exposed concrete work on the domes is highlighted when natural light bounces off the ceiling, expressing the dome as pieces of artwork.

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4.1.2 ROOM Components - hollow column, geometry, symmetry, materials THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The building is met in the centre by a large volume of void space - the open auditorium. This behaves as the hollow column of the building, the idea of main function and the largest space centralized while other spaces support it is explained in the following philosophy. The central space having an openness to it creates a spatial identity of importance and heightens the value of the space, - a place of dialogue and congregation.

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THE PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY The Philips Exeter Academy Library is symmetrical on both perpendicular axis. This is met with a large void in the centre of the building, behaving like a hollow column. The idea behind, is to create an inviting spatial identity within the building. Hence the hollow column acts as a building statement. Providing a monumental atrium and exposing the book shelves via the large circular openings further imprints the spatial identity of the building as a library.

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Components - hollow column, geometry, symmetry, materials THE KIMBELL ART MUSEUM The Kimbell Art Museum, uses paraboloid domes and arches to express the roof of the building. The museum efficiently uses these geometry of roof to cater for passive natural lighting in the interior spaces. The archways allow an even distribution of passive lighting. This creates a poetic spatial identity for people to appreciate a space showcasing art.

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THE PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY The Philips Exeter Academy Library is a basic cube on the outside and has a series of large circular openings to express the monumentality within. With a very basic approach to the design, the library is modernist on the outside, however it creates a very distinguished emotion in the interior. The large circular openings emphasizes the book shelves as an architectural language as well. Thus what seems like a simple building on the outside, evokes a spatial identity of paradoxical emotion inside. I made the outer depth of the building like a brick doughnut‌. I made the inner depth of the building like a concrete doughnut, where the books are stored away from the light. The central area is a result of these two contiguous doughnuts; it’s just the entrance where books are visible all around you through the big circular openings. So you feel the building has the invitation of books [quoted in Architectural Forum 1972: 77].

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THE SALK INSTITUTE The Salk Institute constitutes basic geometric shapes on plan and elevation alike. It expresses many rectangular forms and triangular forms from plan and elevation. With merging these geometries, Kahn successfully created spaces that are engaging and exciting, mainly acting as vertical sun shading. This creates a spatial identity different to other institutes in its own composition of architectural elements.

THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The Dhaka National Assembly constitutes basic geometric shapes on plans and elevations. It is expressed in the design’s openings, floor plan and structure. The circular and triangular large openings creates a unique language for the building. This makes the building look monumental from far, creating its own spatial identity as a statement building. While the plan is a merge of squares and circles, it allows efficient usage of space allowing bold translation of spatial identity.

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Components - hollow column, geometry, symmetry, materials THE PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY The Philips Exeter Academy Library is symmetrical on both perpendicular axis. This creates a very unbiased and passive spatial arrangement. By doing so, the building has equal sides and it provides equal emphasis on the reading spaces as the primordial function of the library. The need for expressive design is omitted within the building except for it’s atrium in order to prevent a distraction towards the readers. The passive spatial identity provides intimacy and privacy of space.

THE SALK INSTITUTE The Salk Institute houses its propotioned building blocks on a single axis symmetry. Divided by an assembly point, a fountain drain draws a line marking the axis of symmetry. The buidling blocks are mirrored, hence emphasizing on the open space as a main entrance of the building. The institute’s building blocks are a repitative typology forming an unbiased design on either side to compliment the assembly point. This is another form of passive spatial identity providing intimacy of classrooms.

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THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The building symmetry compliments its geometrical design. The large geometrical openings are mirrored on every corner of the building just as the plan is symmetrical on two separate axis. This plan creates a commonness of space while the large symmetrical openings spells a spatial identity of the function of space, eg. The large symmetrical openings housing the stairway shows the transition space, instead of being hidden. It also enhances a statement as a government building from afar with a symmetrical design reflecting strength and order.

THE HURVA SYNAGOGUE The theoretical temple building symmetry compliments its geometrical design. The entrance of the religious space is mirrored with large tappered elements creating a large entrance. This humbles the faithful and provide a spatial identity of balance and spirituality.

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Components - hollow column, geometry, symmetry, materials THE PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY The brick facade is complimented by the large concrete openings in the interior, the brickwall expresses commonness while the interior concrete work expresses boldness. The interior facade is softened by the wooden book shelves that fills the circular voids.

THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The materials of the buildings are local material of concrete. With the concrete work finished without paint, exposes the rawness of the material found in the locality. Creating a spatial identity of transparency for the building and its political function, the bare concrete finishes is extended from the facade to the stairway.

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4.1.3 STREET Components - hollow column, geometry, symmetry, materials THE PHILADELPHIA CITY PLANNING The idea of hollow column at an urban scale is clearly defined by Kahn’s approach. The hollow column is represented by the main tower, being the tallest structure and most well defined design of the planning . The tower is surrounded by carpark buildings that behave as a wall of the tower, creating a spatial identity of threshold between the outside and inside of the city planning.

Components - hollow column, geometry, symmetry, materials THE PHILADELPHIA CITY PLANNING The Philadelphia City Planning narrates geometry on its grid like urban plan, the space framed tower, and its cylindrical car parks. The geometrical grid plan cuts out vehicular circulation on the outskirts of the city while focusing on pedestrian movement within the city. The triangular space frame tower expresses a very modern approach to the technological city. The cylindrical columned car park structures creates an environment within the building. Thus a spatial identity of technology and pedestrian based is emphasized.

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Components - hollow column, geometry, symmetry, materials THE PHILADELPHIA CITY PLANNING The symmetrical aspect of the plan is narrated on one axis. The main tower is mirrored by car park buildings on either side and connecting roads turning into the city. This allows an ease of circulation and clarifies the spatial identity of roads, parking, functional towers and dwellings in a clear order.

Components - hollow column, geometry, symmetry, materials THE PHILADELPHIA CITY PLANNING The materials are defined as new technological explorations of space frame constitutes the tower, while a simple steel frame structure defines the car park sturctures. This defines a modern technological approach and creates a spatial identity of modernity in the city planning of Philadelphia.

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4.1.4 SUMMARY Architectural components translates platonic geometry, Palladian axiality and symmetry, materials and the “hollow column”, into spatial identity. The geometry of a building maintains familiarity as the symmetry evokes a sense of order. The hollow column idea instils hierearchy and centrality creating spatial identitys that are bold and clear. As the usage of exposed materials from stucco, concrete, bricks, steel or wood allows an intimate and presonal relationship to people allowing a spiritual satisfaction. In a few instances, on a human scale, the Trenton Bath house allowed the simplicity of the design with the ingeniunity of hiding the services into the columns and openness of space allows users to engage with the space in their own way allowing a spiritual satisfaction of the people. On a different functional purpose, ,the Dhaka National Assembly building acts as a monumental statement for the countrymen, hence becomes a symbol of the country’s governance. The experience humbles users inside the double volume spaces, leading to the large open auditorium. It’s unorthodox design engages users from service spaces to main functional spaces. At the street level, the Philadelphia planning adheres the same principles and values of Kahn’s form and design philosophy from human and room scale. The design controls automobile circulation and maintaining history by complimenting technology, This creates a unique spatial identity of the city that is shared by the city’s society in a human collective. Spatial identity here refers to not only to the distinctiveness of individualize spaces but also the sameness of different places. Louis Kahn’s philosophies narrate clearly the values of being or natural human needs and desires are the emphasis of spatial identity. The connection of each component with each other creates a monumental yet very humanized spatial identity. Each building narrates its own principles and creates its own value using the same components is what evokes spatial identity among people towards a building. The significance of this relationship, allows people to experience a space in their own way, almost creating a personal language between building and man.

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4.2 PHILOSOPHY : SERVANT AND SERVED “is the constant distinction between the areas that are served and the areas that serve.” Kahn was fast to develop an important philosophy of “Servant” and “Served” concept of space. His modernist approach to finding solutions led him to explore hierarchical, functionally defined spaces and the integrity of individual rooms. (Susan G. Solomon 1997) He separated the primary “served” spaces from a subsidiary, but equally well defined “servant” spaces in which accommodated supporting needed spaces. His servant and served spaces is translated by key components of monumentality - relates to geometry and symmetry, order (hierarchy) -relates to symmetry and hollowness, and centrality -relates to symmetry and hollowness. “Monumentality in architecture may be defined as a quality, aspiritual quality inherent in a structure which conveys the feeling of its eternity, that it cannot beadded or changed… Monumentality is enigmatic. It cannot be intentionally created.” “I identify myself with the centralspace. I am near it. I don’t have to go from one place to another, one side to another. At this place is my place. You go up the stair, and you go to the left or to the right, and there you find, inone case the living room around which I live, and the dining room around which I live…Youmight say that the central space, its function, and the rooms around have a different mind thanthe mind which is to the left or to the right. The associations are different…It is really a matter ofyou mind opening up to something. Then suddenly your mind is open to eternity. There issomething eternal. There is something that touches the sense of a certain nature which you neverrealized before. It goes deeper than knowing about it.”

"Order does not imply beauty."

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SCALE - HUMAN, ROOM, STREET 4.2.1 HUMAN Components - centrality, monumentality, order THE MARGARET ESHERICK HOUSE The centralitiy of the staircase differentiates each of the spaces surrounding it. The seemingly light teak staircase stands in the middle of the house, much like a sculpture in its own right, and commands the space. It replaces the anticipated core masonry fireplace (hearth), while still serving as a reference point and an anchor for the house. A paradoxical nature, between the lightness of the lofty stair case and its pivotal role in defining the house, indicates its centrality; the house does not grow out of it, rather it flows alongside it.

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TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE The bath house is an open concept structure, where the atrium is centrallized. It is surrounded by basket room, porch, and dressing areas. The main spaces are supported and tucked into the columns, by servant spaces of baffled entries, pool manager office, pool machine room and storage. Hence the most public space which is the atrium is supported by intermediate spaces and finally supported by servant intimate spaces.

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Components - centrality, monumentality, order THE MARGARET ESHERICK HOUSE The house approaches monumentality not in the sense of its size or massiveness, rather in aspiration for timelessness. The austerity with which the spaces are treated, creating a sense of wholeness.

TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE The bath house has a different touch of monumentality in this design. Its monumentality is translation of history from the Egyptian pyramids and Greek concrete cross. The jews’ history tracking back to Egpyt and greece has lead to inscribing a sense of historical monumentality in the simplest form of the bath house. The pyramid roof is functional and poetic as well as the large columns that hold the roofs, reflecting the monumental columns of the Parthenon.

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Components - centrality, monumentality, order THE MARGARET ESHERICK HOUSE All of the servant spaces are located along the eastern periphery of the house. On the first floor, a sequence of kitchen, laundry room, and wet closet serves the dining room and living room beyond. Directly above another sequence of dressing room, bathroom, and closet is found. The distinction between served and servant spaces. The house consists of two faces: a front one which is closed for privacy, and a back one which is open to the greenery of Pastoria Park.

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TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE The trenton jewish community centre bath house has its most intimate spaces such as the pool machine room, storage, manager room and etc, hidden in the hollow column spaces, hidden from public view. The intermediate spaces, such as the dressing room, desk and stairway are the mutual spaces between the said intimate spaces. Finally the central atrium holds the largest order as a congregation space for people and open to the sky, it blends every space around it, functioning as the main served space.

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4.2.2 ROOM Components - centrality, monumentality, order THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The design constitutes five major components which are placed in a necklace formation. It is made up of the National Assembly block, and surrounded by nine blocks, the south main plaza, the presidential square, the east hotels, and the west residential block. The layout of the complex makes the assembly chamber as the focal point of the building.

THE PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY The library takes centrality differently. The most intimate space which is the reader’s cubicle is situated on the outer ring of the floor plan. The book shelves are intermediate spaces situated in the inner ring of the floor plan. However the common and largest space is the atrium placed right in the middle to act as an invitation and statement of the building. Hence its spatial identity is expanded from inside out. A different approach to library design.

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Components - centrality, monumentality, order THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The aseembly chamber of the building is a full height volume that instills a monumental stature inside the building. The building adorning large openings geometrical openings

on its

facade creates

a sense of

monumentality. They seem carved in the tall concrete block that from afar narrates a political statement of the country. The Capital Complex at Dhaka (1965- after Kahn’s death in 1974) is a powerful symbol for Bangladesh that appears even on postage stamps and on the backs of rickshaws. The large assembly hall is surrounded by a mosque and meeting rooms of square and cylindrical towers that also give shade and cooling air flows. Buildings for living quarters compose a geometry of spaces that build up to the most powerful monumentality of the capital that is surrounded by water in the rainy season, defining and enhancing that island of monumentality.

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THE SALK INSTITUTE Kahn’s Salk Institute partakes of timelessness (incorporating the Pacific Ocean as part of the experience of a monumental building) while embracing the eternal challenge of silence to meaning. Everything which leads to such buildings results from decoding and manipulating ancient architectural symbols.

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Components - centrality, monumentality, order THE PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY The massive circular subtraction showcases the scale of the building as the facade of books narrate its function. The foremost aspect of the exterior of the Salk Institute is its reinforced concrete construction. Viewing the North or South elevations, repetition of five monolithic rectilinear forms evokes images of classical columns. The size and imposing forms evoke the order and hierarchy feel. Additionally, the centrality of the plan reflects an embracing of certain pre-Modern ideas.

THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The design translates hierarchy and order with the assembly chamber having the largest volume space, supported by servant spaces at diagonals to the east and west of the building. A man made lake, which the spaces face softens the rigid order of the building, as it separates them from the secretariat.

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4.2.3 STREET Components - centrality, monumentality, order THE PHILADELPHIA CITY PLANNING A city surrounded by massive cylindrical parking towers defends the center-which is called the "Forum"-from the onslaught of automobiles and the forces of decentralization that threatened human interaction. The historicism is evinced by the gateway towers, which explicitly recall ancient monuments such as the Roman Colosseum in various states of decay. Buildings in a variety of archetypal geometric forms populate the city center. Centralization of buildings and activities, supports a clear ordering of streets and traffic, thus meaningful urban life be preserved.

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Components - centrality, monumentality, order THE PHILADELPHIA CITY PLANNING Components of the civic centre comes from the city’s organic structure. The circular parking towers an order of stop and go from the order of movement. Commercial centres from the order of the business. City core, city hall from the order of institutions.(Goldhagen, 2001, pp. 116–117). The idealistic goal is the manifestation of the essence of human civilization through the evocation of timelessness in monumental building (Reed,1989,p. 280). The need for monumentality to anchor a social presence in the same way as in ancient cities. The form of Central Philadelphia was the new monumental axis along the east-west side of Market Street, and provocatively, an intense double-sided linear assembly of cylindrical (silos) structures, a truncated pyramid, tubular towers and a space frame city tower along Market Street.

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Components - centrality, monumentality, order THE PHILADELPHIA CITY PLANNING The traffic Study is a carefully ordered conceptual plan. In an effort to untangle traffic congestion and to mitigate the haphazard proliferation of parking lots that plagued postwar American cities, The streets are reordered according to a functional hierarchy. The system corresponds to different tempos of traffic, such as the stop-and-go movement of trucks and buses , the fast flow of vehicles around the periphery, and the stasis of cars in parking garages. Forms were rooted in abstract Platonic geometry and rich in historical allusion. Order instilled in the design that integrated structure, function, and the power of history in abstract universal and transcendent archetypes. This development is traced through two essential and conflicting themes in his urban strategy. The "order of movement" (streets and parking) and the civic center (man's eternal social need embodied in urban institutions and open spaces).

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4.2.4 SUMMARY Also known as Serve vs. Service, or Served vs. Servant spaces, it is basically the separation and definition of the distinct characteristics of spaces. Kahn prevents the creation of a homogeneous combination of two types of spaces, adding a further sense of order to the overall composition. In Kahn’s interpretation of this concept, servant spaces are generally those that contain the elements in which habitation would be brief/impossible, or spaces that contain mechanical, or purely functional, aspects. On a very intimate scale, the Margaret Esherick House denotes the main served space around the servant staircase space. This however is ringed by other servant spaces such as bathrooms and storage. The monumentality is achieved with symmetry of the building, the centralitiy of the staircase creates character and the order of spaces evoke a sense of intimacy. This holistically narrates a spatial identity of personality and intimacy. On a larger scale, the Philips Exeter Library, creates a different language of servant and served spaces. The reading spots are the served spaces, however it is placed on the outer ring of the plan. These spaces are supported by servant spaces of book shelves in the inner ring. Finally with the idea of monumentality and centrality, the atrium invites people into the heart of the building before spreading them to their respective intimate spaces. Even on an urban scale, the Philadelphia City Planning, adapts the ideas of servant and served spaces. The servant spaces of vehicular road and carparks are spread around the city plan. The main towers, civic buildings and pedestrian circulation are the main served spaces which is situated in the heart of the city. This allows control, and order on a scale as big as a city. The tower spells monumentality as it is centralized in the heart of the city. This the components of monumentality, centrality, and order allows a a bold narration of servant and served spaces. This on the other hand, translates a clear spatial identity within society. Albiet being supported by other components in translating spatial identity, space compositions are best describe by the said three components. The birth of servant and served spaces is very unique to Kahn’s designs, allowing a clear picture of circulation and spatial experience.

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4.3 PHILOSOPHY : SILENCE AND LIGHT “Nothingness mattered to him… silence mattered to him… the enigma of light mattered to him” The theory of silence and light exemplifies the origin of creative expression within the human mind. Within the content of this idea, Kahn had seen light as the meaning of expression given by nature, and silence as a desire of expression welling up from the collective unconscious. The points of their meeting create the inspiration that lead to the creation of work in art (Tyng, 1984). The idea of silence and light revolves around the usage of shading devices (applied device). he idea also revolves from incorporating large atriums from the ideas of hollowness and monumentality. Finally with creative exploration of skylight, the idea of slience and light evokes spatial identity very intimate towards people and users of a building. The designs were able to provoke emotions and create a sense of belonging unlike other modernist buildings. “Greek architecture taught me that the column is where the light is not, and the space between is where the light is. It is a matter of no-light, light, no-light, light. A column and a column brings light between them. To make a column which grows out of the wall and which makes its own rhythm of no-light, light, no-light, light: that is the marvel of the artist.” “The outside belongs to the sun and on the inside people live and work. In order to avoid protection from the sun I invented the idea of a deep intrados that protects the cool shadow.”

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SCALE - HUMAN, ROOM 4.3.1 HUMAN Components - skylight, applied devices, atriums THE YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY At the Yale Art Gallery, a light joint is created at the roof above the triangular stair within a cylinder. The protective woven wire mesh at the stair rails, although very strong, appears to be almost dissolved in light.

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TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE At the Trenton Bath House, the roofs appear to float above the columns, although they are supported by delicate steel bearings embedded in the concrete caps on the hollow columns. The space between the roofs and columns is a light joint in the vertical plane when the roof edge is lined up with the walls.The walls are beyond the roof’s edge making the light joints as skylights. There are also square openings at the apex of the hipped roofs.

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THE KIMBELL ART MUSEUM In the Kimbell Museum has shadow joints occuring between the concrete structure and the travertine infill, between steel window frames and the concrete walls, between interior door frames and their panel infills. Light joints occur between the cycloid curves of the vaults and the beautifully tensioned infill curves at the wall ends of the vaults. The courtyards are very large light joints. The dominant light joints are 100-ft long cleavages in the vaults which are thereby split into cantilevers from the side walls. Direct light is allowed through small perforations, and most of the natural light is reflected onto the ceiling where the cycloid curve distributes it dynamically (in contrast with the semicircular curve that only reflects to a center point). Although the sun’s ultraviolet rays are known to be damaging to art treasures, tests at Kimbell confirm the safety of its use of natural light.

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Components - skylight, applied devices, atriums THE YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY The close-packed tetrahedron/octahedron geometry of the Yale Art Gallery ceiling embodies the concept of a „breathing ceiling�. A view of the framework demonstrates the hollows that harbor a network of heating/cooling ducts and multiple lighting sources, all with continuously accessible controls. The symbolism of the geometry can be found in the Pythagorean concept of the five Platonic solids as the shape of the smallest particles of fire, air, earth, water, and the cosmos. The tetrahedron (fire) with the octahedron (air) are the sources of lighting, heating and cooling. It breaks the direct sunlight and acts as a shading device while allowing enough natural light to fill in.

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THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT The large facade omissions are abstracted patterns found within the Indian culture that were positioned to act as light wells and a natural cooling system protecting the interior from India’s harsh desert climate.

Even though the

porous, geometric façade acts as filters for sunlight and ventilation, the porosity allowed for the creation of new spaces of gathering for the students and faculty to come together.

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Components - skylight, applied devices, atriums TRENTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE - BATH HOUSE The bath house is married by four roofed spaces while the middle is left open to the sky. This becomes the atrium of the space, infusing natural light into the supproting four spaces. Hence the most basic interpretation of an atrium

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THE YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY The atriums have heavy concrete blocks cutting the natural light and dispersing it into the building. Allowing a sense of spirituality in the gallery, the atriums functions efficiently to create a humbling experience.

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4.3.2 ROOM Components - skylight, applied devices, atriums THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The National Assembly adorns circular skylights around the structure to allow passive lighting in the main assembly area. The layers of platonic geometric shapes create random play of light and shadow that changes every hour of the day reflecting the sun’s movement.

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THE PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY The facade of the buildings provide natural lighting into the building as well as the dispersed skylights around the building from the atrium emphasizing on the soft natural light evoking a intimate spatial identity towards the readers.

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Components - skylight, applied devices, atriums THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The final roof structure was designed as an umbrella form (hyperbolic paraboloid) which spans the octagon of the Assembly Hall on extremely fragile-seeming support points. The periphery between the walls and the paraboloid dome becomes “ring of light”. To provide more light for the Assembly Hall, however they are covered by white textile strips to prevent glare.

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THE

PHILADELPHIA

PSYCHIATRIC

HOSPITAL,

SAMUEL

RADBILL

BUILDING The strip windows were used for the openings and ventilation was provided by pivoting open the top-hung windows from the bottom out ward. To protect the strip windows from direct sunlight, the slab is extended on both south and west sides and hollowed inside with wooden cubes. These light filters are created in such a dimension that at particular times of the day and only a fraction of sunlight will fall on the facade and create an interesting pattern of light on the window surfaces.

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THE SALK INSTITUTE Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, has the great court that connect directly with the Pacific Ocean. Its narrow channel of water becomes a light joint by day and a shadow joint by night, as it disappears into the Pacific. The Landcape architect Luis Barragan called the Salk court a façade to the sky.” The vertical structural walls also function as a light breaker with its diagonal arrangement along the institute.

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Components - skylight, applied devices, atriums THE PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY LIBRARY The cross beams at the clerestory windows above the atrium is massive/ Carter Wiseman says, "While they appear to be—and indeed are—structural, they are far deeper than necessary; their no-less-important role was to diffuse the sunlight coming in from the surrounding clerestory windows and reflect it down into the atrium.

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THE DHAKA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The minor units are also multilateral, admitting light through geometric cutouts in their solid, forbidding walls which suggest an austere, overpowering image of a fortress enclosed by rings of walls and towers. Kahn in his mature work used masonry (especially reinforced concrete) almost exclusively for their massive, rugged qualities

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4.3.3 SUMMARY The idea of silence and light is well narrated by breaking it down into its architectural components. The idea of monumentality, centrality and hollowness creates many opportunities for the atrium to be a strong language of natural lighting. This experiments spatial identity of a large space to a very human and intimate scale. The skylights that compliments the atriums, placed along corridors, and sometimes hidden by other openings creates a playful light experimentation. This allows spatial identity to be experienced in any types of space be it transitional space or the largest functional space. In cases of controlling the intensity of sunlight, shading devices (applied devices) allows a sizeable control over light penetration. However other types of applied devices are also explored, such as fountains to create a linear emotional light line. With the implementation of bold geometrical shapes allows creative explorations of skylights. While ideas of symmetry improves the importance of atriums, centralizing the natural light flooding into the building, personally touching the people. The idea of natural light humanizes personal spaces such as homes and monumental buildings such as assembly halls. On an intimate scale, the Trenton Bath house uses simple skylights on its pyramid roof and light slits by the sides of the structure creating a play of light for people despite the design being an open plan. This allows a spatial identity of homeliness and warmth, inviting leisure and relaxation. On a larger and monumental scale, the Indian Institute of Management sees large circular slits inviting natural light into the corridors, but breaks it again with other openings before it reaches more seculded spaces. In a site that deals with alot of sun glare, creative skylights, applied devices and atriums translates it into inviting natural light. The spatial identity of the institute respects students’ spiritual development and the building’s function as a space of higher learning. Thus, natural lighting evokes spatial identity by creating character and exploring emotions in a building. It narrates accordingly to the scale of the building. However so, it humanizes any type of space and providing a strong spatial identity.

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5.0 TABULATION FORM & DESIGN

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SERVANT & SERVED

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SILENCE & LIGHT

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6.0 CONCLUSION - Expected Outcome “Architecture is the thoughtful making of spaces. It is the creating of spaces that evoke a feeling of appropriate use.” —Louis I. Kahn Louis Kahn’s designs deals with the notion of duality, both permanent and ephemeral: light and shadow, served and service, and form and design. The distinction between Form and Design implicated further definitions of the measurable and the immeasurable, and the order of the universe as opposed to nature. Kahn regarded Form as something which defined the essence of architecture; Design is the circumstantial manifestation of such a Form. When Kahn stated that when making a house, the architect should spread the functions of living across multiple pavilions in order to evaluate their relationships. This serves as a point of departure for Kahn’s architecture of connections in the idea of Servant spaces complimenting Served spaces. Kahn composed his philosophies always in every scale which he has

his

own

interpretation:-

Agreement. Kahn

declares

The

that,

Room, “The

The

room

Street is

the

and

Human

beginning

of

architecture…The plan a society of rooms. The rooms relate to each other to strengthen their own unique nature.” “How marvelous that when in a room with another soon the mountains, trees, wind, and the rain leave us for the mind and the room becomes a world in itself.” For Kahn architecture cultivates the mind, “Buildings start as a kind of recognition that there must be a place of concentration where the mind is given play.” Building is in the distinction between the brain (function) and the mind (essence), where the notion of the measurable(tangible) and the immeasurable(intangible) arises.

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Architectural components of geometry, symmetry, materials, and hollow columns define the philosophy of Form and Design. The idea of Form and Design creates a building with principles and values. This creates the spatial identity of the building within the human collective. Architectural components of skylights, applied devices and atriums translate the philosophy of Silence and Light. The idea of Silence and Light creates a building with character and identity. This evokes a spatial identity between the people and building. Architectural components of order, monumentality, and centrality brings about the philosophy of Servant and Served. The idea of Servant and Served creates a building with emotions and intimacy. This promotes a spatial identity of belonging and sense of place within a building. The mutual understanding between these philosophies are achieved by understanding the role of components, composition and scale. Therefore, a successful merging of architectural components into design philosophies that are combined through measurable elements results in a successful definition of spatial identity that is speacilized to every design approach and building. Can the working philosophies of Louis Kahn be deciphered into a more common terminology? Are the terms, romanticize, expressionism, and classicism the best description or translation for the said philosophies?

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7.0 REFERENCES Anderson, B. (n.d.). Imagined communities. ArchDaily. (2017). AD Classics: First Unitarian Church of Rochester / Louis Kahn. [online] Available at: http://www.archdaily.com/84267/ad-classics-first-unitarian-church-of-roch ester-louis-kahn [Accessed 19 Sep. 2017]. Dogan, F. (2003). The role of conceptual diagrams in the architectural design process. Goldhagen, S. (1995). Changing symbols of public life. Ann Arbor, Mich.: UMI Dissertation Services. GreatBuildings. (2017). First Unitarian Church by Louis I. Kahn at GreatBuildings. [online] Available at: http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/First_Unitarian_Church.html [Accessed 19 Sep. 2017]. Jackson, D. (2000). Towards a social architecture of school success. Kahn, L. (1998). Louis I. Khan. Houston, Tex.: Architecture at Rice. Mancoridis, S. (1996). Controlling the interactions of architectural design components using scoping rules. Ottawa: National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada. Schaps, E., Battistich, V. and Solomon, D. (1997). School as a caring community: A key to character education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. William Scott, B. (1996). Perceptions about the role of architecture in education. 1st ed. Virginia: University of Virginia. Chang, C. (1973). Louis I. Kahn. Tokyo: A + U.

Fitzpatrick, A. Late modernism.

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Kahn, L., & Johnson, N. (2012). Light is the theme. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press. Leslie, T., & Kahn, L. (2005). Louis I. Kahn. New York: George Braziller. Lobell, J., & Kahn, L. (2008). Between silence and light. Boston: Shambhala. James, S. B. (2010). Louis I. kahn: Towards an iconography of memory (Order No. 3435979). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (816710416). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.taylors.edu.my/docview/816710416?acc ountid=130517 Dogan, F. (2003). The role of conceptual diagrams in the architectural design process: Case studies of the first unitarian church by louis kahn, the staatsgalerie by stirling and wilford associates, and the jewish museum by daniel libeskind (Order No. 3110402). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (305329546). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.taylors.edu.my/docview/305329546?acc ountid=130517 Solomon, S. G. (1997). Secular and spiritual humanism: Louis I. kahn's work for the jewish community in the 1950s and 1960s (Order No. 9800928). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (304369673). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.taylors.edu.my/docview/304369673?acc ountid=130517 BURTON, J. A. (1983). The Architectural Hieroglyphics Of Louis I. Kahn, Architecture As Logos (Order No. 8326275). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (303168790). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.taylors.edu.my/docview/303168790?acc ountid=130517 Friedman, D. S. (1999). The sun on trial: Kahn's gnostic garden at salk (Order No. 9926127). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (304518124). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.taylors.edu.my/docview/304518124?acc ountid=130517

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Reed, P. S. (1989). Toward form: Louis I. kahn's urban designs for philadelphia, 1939-1962 (Order No. 8922590). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (303714391). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.taylors.edu.my/docview/303714391?acc ountid=130517 Senbabaoglu, B. (2004). Understanding lighting in architecture of louis I. kahn (Order No. 1422963). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (305159227). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.taylors.edu.my/docview/305159227?acc ountid=130517 Coleman, N. (2000). Inventing an exemplary architecture: The function of utopia in architectural imagination (Order No. 9989581). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (304614914). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.taylors.edu.my/docview/304614914?acc ountid=130517 Islam, A. K. M. Z. (2004). Linear multimedia for form and geometry analysis: A case study of louis I kahn's national assembly building (Order No. 1422933). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (305160462). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.taylors.edu.my/docview/305160462?acc ountid=130517

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