COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PHILOSPHIES AND WORKS OF LOUIS I KAHN

AND TADAO ANDO

UNDER GUIDANCE OF:

AR. HARSHIKA SAHAY KEMKAR
SUNMITTED TO:
AR. SACHIN PALIWAL SUNMITTED BY:
AR. NITYA DURVE HARSHIT MANGTANI
 WHY? LOUIS AND TADAO.
1. THE INDIVIDUALS: Louis I Kahn and Tadao Ando, both architects are well known for their works and
their unique style. Louis was among the ones who broke international style.
whereas, Tadao’s architecture is basically modernist and also confronts tradition
and reformulates memory in a way that points to the future.

Philosophies of an architect shapes its building, and both these architect have
various similarities in their philosophies like:
2. SIMILER PHILOSOPHIES:
1.) fusion – both the architects formed their style by making a fusion. Louis’s style
is a fusion of modern architecture and classical architecture. Tadao’s style is a
fusion of modern international style with traditional Japanese architecture.
2.) Natural Elements – Both architects philosophies revolve around natural
elements such as light, nature, sprituality and humanity.
3.) Forms – Both architects are fond of simple geometric forms.

3. DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES: Their Philosophies have some dissimilarities too, which creates their design
similar yet different. Louis was an artist in his early years, whereas Tadao worked
as a carpenter in his early days, and this difference can be seen in their design,
such as ornamentation in Tadao building is not present whereas for louis its
different.
 LOUIS’S PHILOSOPHIES
Louis and Art - Kahn mainly considered himself to be an artist and that architecture is a medium for art. He believed That
the form and its functional reasons are expressed in it, as well as the essence around which the
compositional plan being defined by it too. Its achievement is brought about by using the principle of
decorum that confers appropriate form on the construction so that it achieves its function.

Louis and Light - Kahn’s buildings were designed to be like human cups of light. He created many striking
examples of the archetypal vessel of light by filling central paces with skylights.

Louis and The understanding of what then became a method in composition came to Kahn clearly
Mediterranean World - during travels in the Mediterranean world of Italy, Greece, and Egypt in the Spring of 1951 in
which Kahn experienced a moment of revelation and confirmation of how the ancient world
knew how to represent durable values of civil life in architecture.
Louis and Designing He believes that as long as he has considered only the functions of the building, he is still not
Space - building the building. A building that simply functions is not a building in his sense and it
would not have a lasting quality. It would not have the quality of being in a life, of being in a
living thing.
Louis and his theory of The “servant” spaces must, said Kahn, be ordered around the “served” spaces in which
served and servant people live and work.
spaces -
 TADAO’S PHILOSOPHIES
Tadao and Light - All through his career, Ando has looked to light, not just as a physical presence but for its
transcendental implications as web. He considers that the light is the source of all being.
Confronted with the surface of things, he contours them with shadows and highlights, lends
them depth.
Tadao and Humanity - Ando considers that frequently hidebound by economic, technological and legal strictures,
architecture is built in an overly conservative way and argues that it has abandoned the kind
of space capable of inspiring the spirit. For that reason, he insists on personally attempting.

Tadao and Emotions - He believe that the architect has a duty to offer people places in which they can become
aware of their own bodies, of their own emotions in the presence of nature. His goal is to
create places in which man can feel as comfortable and free as in nature itself.
Tadao and Geometry - Tadao Ando often uses the same geometric repertory to give shape to his buildings. For this
reason, he likes to convert natural elements (water, wind, light, sound.) into abstract shapes.
Tadao and Concrete - He chose concrete as the basic material for almost all his projects, though not just for
economic reasons: his main desire was to try and arrive at spatial purity. The mental response
and the spiritual quality must generate the architecture itself.
Tadao and Nature - Tadao Believed that the life of human beings does not consist in opposing himself to nature
or in protecting himself against it or even trying to subjugate it. Man´s goal is to unite itself
with nature.
KAHN’S WORK
KAHN KORMAN HOUSE
Type of Building Residential.

BOUNDARIES The plan looks like a simple rectangular used to create two different
compositions and joined by the edges.
Visual perception It seems like some boxes of different sized are arranged to form a
Entrance view of Kahn Korman house
balanced cluster. the cluster gives an impression of different
rectangles extruded above the surface.

planning Separation of living spaces from sleeping spaces.

Volume and proportions Large volumes are deceived as larger volumes by providing entrance
from comparatively small volumes.
Colour of architectural Warmer tones are used. In exteriors, wood and glass are used. In
space interiors wood, bluestone, brick, concrete, and tiles are used.

light sources Large rectangular windows and full length and full height glazing
provided in the living area. Ground and First floor plans.

Movement of light Windows forms rectangular shadows, and as the day passes the light
moves in every part of the house.
Transition spaces Major transition space is the entrance in the house from a wide-open
area to a narrow corridor, and then again to a large living area.

Orientation Northeast – Southwest axis, to accumulate the maximum amount of

natural light in the house.
KAHN’S WORK
KIMBELL ART MUSEUM
Type of Building Art Museum.

Boundary Six long vaults aligned together to form a rectangular boundary. The first
two vaults are discontinued from the center.
View of Kimbel Art Museum.
Visual Perception In exteriors, the first vault is open which gives an impression of a
balcony. In interiors, galleries look like two long vaults are joined are the
walls between the vaults are removed.

Planning How to avoid direct natural light and still access the natural light.

Volumes and Proportions Larger volume is formed by joining multiple long narrow volumes.

Colour of the architectural Ceilings with smooth grey concrete, walls with beige color of travertine
space and floors golden brown from oak wood. Ground and Baseent floor plans, and areal view.
Light sources the major source is the reflected light on the concrete surface of the
vault, from the slit created in the center of the vault. Others are the slit
created between walls of vaults.

Movement of light Change of the time is experienced by the change in the light coming
through the vaults. The light gets a warmer tone as the day starts to set.

orientation Vaults are placed along the North-South axis, perpendicular to the sun’s
direction.

Showing section of the vault and the vault itself.

KAHN’S WORK
ARTS UNITED CENTRE
Type of Building Art Institute.

Boundaries Two blocks, each shaped rectangular, with one having two
rectangular offsets.

Planning Separate spaces for the theatre and art schoo0. Exterior view of Arts United centre.

Volumes and Larger volumes are centrally placed. The corridors are provided
proportions with double heights to give an impression of a larger volume.

Colour of Materials are kept exposed; brick and concrete are used in
architectural space abundance. Oakwood is in the interior of the theatre.

Visual perception The large rectangular form with large cut-outs in the walls
provides a perception of the bold and rigid mind frame of the Representing previously proposed plan and current plan of the museum.
architect.
Light source The major source is the cut-outs provided on the exterior
walls. In the theatre area, reflected light enters from slid
between walls and ceiling.
Movement of light The light entering from cut-outs moves from walls to floors
and then to the walls, as time passes, providing different
ambiance all through the day.

Showing the interiors of the center.

TADAO‘S WORK
KOSHINO HOUSE
Type of Building Residential.

Boundary Two rectangle blocks placed parallel to each other and a semi-
circular block connected with a straight line
Visual Perception While entering the site, two rectangular concrete roofs are
visible. Further moving ahead one staircase is visible between
the block, which works as the entrance. Showing the Stair Between two Rectangular Blocks.
Planning Different activities have separate areas, connected with a
passage.
Volumes and Three types are volumes are used Double volume, Single
proportions volume, and narrow volume. Double and single volumes are
connected by narrow volumes.
Colour of the All the walls are made of smooth concrete and are free of
architectural space ornamentation and in their natural form. Other than concrete
is glass used in windows.
Light sources The major source is the slits created in walls and roofs. Glass
windows and an open door are also provided
Movement of light Light travels in the major part of the house through the slits Showing plan and areal view of Koshino House.
provided in walls and roofs, which create the dramatic effect
of light and shadow, proceeding all over the space.

Transition spaces Major transition spaces are, stairs leading toward the
entrance, passage provided near the bedroom area, and
passage connecting all blocks.
TADAO’S WORK
CHICHU ART MUSEUM
Type of Building Art Museum.

Boundaries The museum is buried in the ground. Rectangles, square and

triangle-shaped geometric concrete figures are only visible.

Visual perception Galleries are joined with two concrete wall passage, instructing
visitors to follow the path. Areal view of the museum.
Planning Specific gallery dedicated to one particular artist to emphasis
his art-work
Volumes and large volumes are cut in the ground for galleries, connected
proportions with narrow open and underground passages.
Colour of the Grey concrete is used through-out the museum, Other are
architectural space white coarse sand plaster, glass, steel, and wood, used in the
galleries and finishing.
Axonometric view and plan of the museum.
Light sources The source for light is large cut-outs on the ground.

Movement of light As the major light source are the open cut-outs, the change in
the daylight directly impacts the gallery’s emotion.

Transition spaces Before entering each gallery; corridors joining them acts as a
transition space.

Showing Walter and James’s Gallery.

TADAO’S WORK
CHURCH OF LIGHT
Type of Building Religious.

Boundaries An exposed concrete rectangle, with a plane concrete line

intersecting the rectangle.
Visual perception The dominating visual impressions are the light forming cross shape
in the dark altar room.
Planning Representing the significance of the altar. Exterior View of the chapel.

Volumes and Illusion; of the increased volume is perceived by adding narrow long
proportions light sources in a dark room, further increasing the effect by
providing narrow volume as an entrance.

Colour of the The chapel is colored dark with grey colors of the concrete and dark
architectural space brown color of the wood.
Light sources The dominating source is a cross-shaped slit in the south wall and
other being the openings along the west and north walls.

Movement of light As the day passes the cross created by light shifts position
simultaneously.
Transition spaces L shaped dark entrance leading to the hall with light falling from a
full glazed window.
Orientation The chapel is oriented along the north-south axis, and the altar is
placed in front of the south wall; to symbolize the importance.

Showing Plan and Sectional view.

 CONCLUSION
Louis Kahn was an artist and was greatly influenced by an architectural tour. He was fond of traveling and was inspired by the grandness of Roman and Greek
architecture. These traits can be found in his designs. The building gives an impression of the abstract mindset of an artist. His designs were observed to have
larger volumes to represent the grandeur of the ancient architecture with the use of some symbolic elements such as arches and vaults.

Tadao was inspired by the architect Louis I Kahn, and similarities in design can be seen easily in their designs. Both architects used similar forms and volumes.
Both architects were seen to use narrow volumes to connect to the wider or double volumes. Both architects separated the spaces according to the activities and
connected them with passages. Both architects worked on simple geometric shapes and both architects were also observed to use similar techniques to provide
light in their spaces and to create similar effects.

He was inspired by the Zen Buddhist philosophies as well as the traditional Japanese architecture. All these traits can be clearly seen in his designs. He focused on
how a place can make people feel and connect to the building. His works have no ornamentation or embellishments to distract the eyes. Due to his love for Zen
Buddhist and Japanese traditions, his works are often found to merge itself to the site and become part of nature and the surrounding. He worked as a carpenter in
his initial years before entering design. This led him to create a perfectly smooth concrete structure, which is one of the distinctive features of Tadao. He made his
created his building with exposed concrete to represent the brutality and simplicity of his zen philosophy.

Thus, this research proves that Tadao Ando is continuing the post-modern design philosophies of Louis I Kahn while giving his designs an
essence of minimalistic architecture.