Louis Kahn

20 February 1901 – 17 March 1974

Louis Kahn was an Estonian-born American architect known for monumental, weighty buildings that combined modernism with a timeless, almost archaic presence. His major works include the Salk Institute in California, the Kimbell Art Museum in Texas, and the National Assembly Building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and he was an influential professor at Yale and the University of Pennsylvania.

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Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Louis Kahn.

Life events

Born on the island of Saaremaa
20 February 1901

He was born Leiser-Itze Schmuilowsky in Kuressaare, then part of the Russian Empire.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Birth ✓
Emigrated with his family to the United States
1906

His family settled in Philadelphia, where he was raised.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania
1924

He earned his Bachelor of Architecture under a Beaux-Arts curriculum in 1924.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Taught architecture at Yale and the University of Pennsylvania
c. 1947 – 1974

He became one of the most influential architecture teachers of his generation.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Designed the National Assembly Building in Dhaka
1962 – 1982

The Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban in Bangladesh is considered his masterpiece, completed after his death.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Completed the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California
1965

The research campus with its travertine plaza became one of his most admired works.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Completed the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth
1972

The museum's vaulted galleries with filtered natural light are widely celebrated.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Died in New York City
17 March 1974

He suffered a fatal heart attack in Pennsylvania Station while returning from India.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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