Mikveh Israel Synagogue, project, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Interior perspective
Louis I. Kahn
American, born Estonia. 1901–1974
1963
A charcoal-on-tracing-paper interior perspective by Louis I. Kahn for the Mikveh Israel Synagogue, aiming to distill the building’s vaulted proportions and liturgical procession into a single atmospheric study.
You’re struck by a sweeping semicircular arch that frames tiered seating and clusters of small, sketched figures, the rapid, vertical and diagonal strokes making the interior feel simultaneously monumental and intimate.
The drawing shows Kahn’s midcentury method of translating elemental form, light, and human scale into modern sacred architecture, contributing to broader 20th‑century conversations about monumentality and spirituality in design.
Medium
Charcoal on tracing paper
Dimensions
20 3/8 x 15 3/4" (51.8 x 40 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the architect
Accession
401.1964
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
