Yale University Art Gallery

Kahn was a professor at Yale University from 1947-1957. During this time he was given the opportunity to plan the Yale University Art Gallery to expand a neo-Gothic building of the 1920’s. The facades of the Yale University Art Gallery are made of brick and glass. A triangular reinforced concrete ceiling is the dominating feature of the interior. It was one of his first designs that allowed housing for lighting, electric wiring, and ventilation and was the first structure at the University of Yale to have specific locations for these departments.

Phillips Exeter Library

For my second series of blogs I will be focusing on Louis Kahn and some of his best works. Kahn was an American architect based out of Philadelphia where he also served time as a professor. He was very well known for his work and a style that was monumental and monolithic. Amongst his work is the Phillips Exeter Library and in Exeter, New Hampshire. This building served Phillips Exeter Academy and has many windows that allow students to read in the daylight on the top two floors. The entrance hall is designed for encounters and exchange and is accompanied by two other floors. Kahn designed it so that over 250,000 books could be of open display for the students at the Academy.