Architecture as Philosophy
In a 1944 lecture, Estonian-born American architect Louis Kahn (1901-1974) described âmonumentalityâ as
âa spiritual quality inherent in a structure which conveys the feeling of its eternity, that it cannot be added to or changed.â Whilst the scale and heft of his buildings is often associated with Brutalism, this quote gestures towards a more humanist and spiritual approach â one which places him in the company of the worldâs most important architects. A new book from Prestel,
The Essential Louis Kahn, uses Turkish photographer Cemal Emdenâs beautiful, light-filled images to accompany a meditation on Kahnâs practice.