First Unitarian Church and School, Rochester, New York, Final version: elevation
Louis I. Kahn
American, born Estonia. 1901–1974
1961
An architectural elevation drawn in graphite on tracing paper in which Louis I. Kahn translates a church and school program into a sequence of monolithic volumes and recessed portals.
You first notice the hushed, delicately rendered graphite and a steady procession of cubic masses pierced by deep, square recesses—an austere rhythm of solid and void that feels measured and monumental.
The drawing captures Kahn’s midcentury project of deploying elementary geometry, massing, and light to give modern sacred architecture a timeless, sculptural presence and influenced how later architects thought about space, structure, and programmatic order.
Medium
Graphite on tracing paper
Dimensions
17 3/4 x 29 1/8" (45.1x 74 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the architect
Accession
409.1964
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
