Post on 29-Apr-2018
Kimbell Art Museum
Resurrection of Light
Peyman Soleimani1
Figure 1: photo by Dave Liale
Introduction
Louis Kahn’s big ideas in architecture including representing honor and reverence
of the natural light, making a room with its own light2 and creating served and
servant spaces, were all manifested in the Kimbell art museum in Fort Worth,
Texas, in January 1972.
Louis Kahn’s most fundamental consideration was related to desire, as he
indicated in his definition of architecture. He believed that architecture is the art
of institutions which is the embodiment of human desire. “Order” intended for
describing desire, However order is derived in its own nature and acts as the
underlying principles behind all things. Order is beyond concept, and eventually
there has been no solid definition for order surpassing that “order is …”
1 Student- Master of Architecture- Fontys-Tilburg , e-mail : p.soleimani@student.fontys.nl 2 The room is a place where its structure and it is made (is) in its light… Because the structure is the giver of the light. That is why these columns are so wonderful. This is Kimbell. Kimbell stand as natural light and the making of a room, which are really invisible. (Meyers, 1976, p. 7)
As a result, Louis Kahn used two poetic metaphors called “light” and “silence” as
descriptive tools representing order. He identifies silence as a voiceless, soundless
phenomenon which is not quiet. It is a speaking which is not speech. Silence is the
realm of potentials where things reside until they brought into realisation. Light is
the source of need and is considered as the means for existence. Silence is an
unmeasurable desire which exists, while light is measurable and a giving entity.
Threshold between these two concepts is art. Art itself could make a path
between these two realms (Lobell, 2014).
Desire like being exists independent to machines should be seen in every
designed dwellings regardless of their contributions to typology and the cliché of
labeling. These desires should be postulated only in a liberated environment form
morphological attribute, however, in this essay, desire of existence will be
contemplate through narratives in the Kimbell art museum space as a non-
residential building.
Shadow and existence
Our direct visual perception of the light is a hollow blindness which everything is
almost white. Thus absence of light is needed for a solid comprehending of light, a
“light catcher” or veil which only allows a certain amount of light entering to our
visual system. As we get the ability for understanding the light via “light catcher”
and the contrast between “light” and “no light” area, shadow get its own
existence in to our world.
By means of shadow we come to aware about the presence of objects which
shadow casted on them. The objectivity of shadow is defined by the surface that
it has been casted on and the subjectivity of the shadow, is to introduce material
and texture of that surface. Light is shining on earth and everything casts its
shadow in surfaces around. Now every object and organism can be interpreted,
and shadow is a proof of their existence.
Diagram 1: Relation between Louis Kahn`s philosophy, shadow and existence.
Form and spaces
Site location allows for constructing a one story building which get benefit of
having light from ceiling. Beside the act of entering light from roof to the building,
Louis Kahn uses three light court for bringing another forms of light in to the
museum environment. As Meyer Marshall indicated; “… what seems to be the
repetitive composition in kimbell`s plan belies the experience of the visitor…. The
serenity of the ever present dome-like shells is interrupted by the counterpoint of
the light courts and movable display panels. The visitor moves both along the
thirty meter light-giving structure and at right angles to it. He is giving the
freedom to choose his own way in an ordered and reality understood
environment”.
Figure 2: Plan of Kimbell Art museum (http://www.slideshare.net)
Chapter 1: White light
One of the most visual significance of the Kimbell art museum is the five
proportioned concrete arch wall with no opening on both northern and southern
sides. Other that these concrete veils, two water ponds in both sides of the
entrance area in western side, gives the attraction to the viewers by reflection the
image of the front porch and bringing the water movement and sound to the
entry scene. Besides, in summer time, the entrance area which is covered by rows
of planted trees resembles a green canopy which filter the light and hot weather
of Texas and create a calm and moderate ambient for offering a sense of
tranquility to the visitors before entering to the building. While in winter time, the
vulnerable forms of the trees works as a significance orientation point for the
entrance zone.
Figure 3: overall view to the 5 concrete shell domes. (Photo by Richard Barnes from the website http://www.archlighting.com/projects/structural-light-the-new-renzo-piano-pavilion-at-the-
kimbell_o)
In another view the desire for existence can be perceived by the shadows of trees
in the entrance area or the shadow of building itself which intensify the presence
of the direct light in starting point of a typical narrative for experiencing the
building spaces by visitors. The shadows on the ground surfaces identify a place in
the space of the park which building stands in. In this manner Kimbell art museum
gains its existence by interaction with the landscape and void under the caressing
sun.
Figure 4 : shadow casting in the entrance area and threshold between light and silence. Photo by Christopher Martin from web site https://www.flickr.com/photos/applepirate/2547070937/
Chapter 2: Silver light
While trees in the entrance and the silhouettes on the ground, alienate the visitor
from all the congregations of the city and life conflicts, the viewer find himself in
close relation with art itself which is represented by different art pieces along the
elongated corridors which only decorated by magnificent indirect lighting through
roof. Actually, because of the specific designed light opening on the roof, there is
no gap in realisation of spaces and both entrance and gallery areas are mixed
accordingly. A mysterious and prevalent silver light comes out the ceiling and
illuminated art which is a threshold between light and silence. Daylight saturate
the space indirectly and together with all other views through building an infinite
interpretation of moments has been made.
What really has been pictured in indoor corridors, is the presence of silence which
had created by avoiding to have no shadows in these places. All the art pieces are
visible by visitors while their “being” are only happening in the realm of silence
which seeks the realm of light where they could face direct light and by means of
their own shadows their “being” transform to existence. In another word, all the
visionary element inside these silver vaults are expressing one single moment
before acquiring a proof for a true realisation.
Figure 5: view of the entrance area and light-giving structure. (Photo by Alexander Abuabara and from http://flickr.com/photos/abuabara)
Chapter 3: Green light
All three light courts have their own characteristics and purposes, one which is six
by six meter, has glazing only in two sides and illuminate the south gallery while it
has a travertine fountain in the middle. The second one which is eleven by eleven
meter has glazing in four sides for brightening the north gallery while it furnished
with outdoor tables and chairs and the third court, which is also six by six meter,
allows the light for entering to the lower floor and administration area.
Despite all the differences among these three light courts, the main similarity is
the attendance of green or direct light which allows the visitor for a rejuvenation
to the world outside while natural elements are represented in a minimal way. It
resemblance the moments when the viewer begins his expedition from outside to
inside of the building with all the trees and water ponds in entrance area. Only
now the standpoint of the viewer has been altered following to the experience of
“silence” in exhibition corridors. Also the idea of the room which has mentioned
in the philosophy of Kahn, can be seen as an invisible criteria among the spaces of
the museum.
Here by the presence of direct light, unmeasurable turns in to measurable and
silence reaches to light. Objects reclaim their places and shadows are the witness
of their desire for existence. A single visitor who has been seeing all the art pieces
and feel the potential of the realm of silence, now facing direct light and suddenly
shadows are fabricated again. In other words, by the means of shadows, inside
these courts, another layers of understanding has been added to place, visitor
and objects altogether.
Figure 6: Two glazed court, illuminating the southern gallery. (Photo from: architectmagazine.com)
Chapter’s integration
In addition to explanation of the three spaces that has been describing through a
defined narrative in three chapters, like every other dwellings, an infinite stories
and events could take place in spaces of the building. By this reason, an attempt
has been made in a form of graphical illustration for exhibiting both the building
spaces and different narratives happened in building. Drawing is made following
to create an axonometric view of the building in an abstract condition.
Figure 7: Abstract isometric view of the Kimbell Art Museum spaces and different narratives
Results
As “Louis Kahn” struggled with both modern movement and the monumentality
in architecture in the mid-twenties century, he introduced the system of “order”
with two poetic metaphors named, “light” and “silence” (measurable and
unmeasurable) . He put “art” in between these two realms and he tried to
present them via architectural forms and shapes. Another layer that can be added
in to these two metaphors is the relations of shadow and the existence of all the
substance in the realm of silence and light.
Indirect light cannot produce any shadow for objects facing it. These objects are
belonging to the realm of silence while substances confronting direct light, casting
shadows and their being transformed in to existence. It has been mentioned that
the existence of the single substance or human is defied by its own shadow and
absence of a light catcher or veil resulted in a white blindness where nothing can
be interpreted.
For applying these ideas in to Kimbell art museum spaces, a narrative in three
chapters, beginning from the entrance of the building to one of the light courts,
has been selected in which the play of the shadows, direct and indirect lights and
silence and visitor moods, has tried to be considered. As a result of that the
entrance area represent the direct light and desire for existence of all the
substances and even the building itself. Visitors become tranquil and calm by
looking at the silhouettes of the trees and find their existence by looking at the
shadow of themselves. The long corridors with the indirect lighting fixture
represent the silence while there has not been any casting shadow inside. This is
the realm of potentials that every substance reside here for the realisation phase.
Besides, the art pieces which are the threshold of the realms of silence and light is
placed in this section and allow the visitors for detaching from their existence that
they interpreted earlier in the entrance area. Finally in the light courts visitors,
face the meaning of a room which is made by light that Kahn paying his focus
ideologically upon it. Here, viewer could experience the shadow and existence of
substances for the second times but this time after comprehending the art and
realm of silence. The ambient in light courts are reproducing what has been
experienced outside the Kimbell art museum, however silence and art itself are
placed in between these two areas.
Figure 8: relation between realm of silence and light (Invisible connection of indoor and outdoor)
References
Lobell, J. (2014, 5 6). John Lobell Louis Kahn Survey. New York, Pratt School, lecture on Kahn's
architecture and philosophy for 4th semester architectural history theory.
Meyers, M. D. (1976). yale Art Gallery & Kimbell Art Musuem. GA-Global Architecture 38, 46.
Pattison, H. (2015, June). Harriet Pattison on Design. (C. A. Birnbaum, Interviewer)