Philadelphia College of Art, project, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Section sketch of studios
Louis I. Kahn
American, born Estonia. 1901–1974
1965
A large charcoal-on-paper section sketch in which Louis Kahn tests the spatial organization, circulation, and light for a proposed Philadelphia College of Art studio building.
Sparse, assured charcoal strokes delineate a tall, blocky mass pierced by a diagonal stair sequence and tiny human figures, the surrounding blank paper amplifying the sense of monumental interior space.
The drawing reveals Kahn’s way of thinking through the section—using bold, architectural gestures to resolve program, structure, and daylight—and exemplifies his influential approach to served-and-servant spaces in late modern architecture.
Medium
Charcoal on paper
Dimensions
29 3/4 x 47 3/4" (75.6 x 121.3 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the architect
Accession
429.1967
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
