LouisI.Kahn

AmericanarchitectLouisI.Kahnleftbehindalegacyofgreatbuildings：theSalkInstituteinLaJolla，California;theKimbellArtMuseuminFortWorth，Texas;andtheIndianInstituteforManagementinAhmedabad.Yethealsoleftbehindanequallyimportantlegacyofdesignsthatwereneverrealized.Thisexceptionalvolumeunitesthoseunbuiltprojectswiththemostadvancedcomputer-graphicstechnology—thefirstfundamentallynewtoolforstudyingspacesincethedevelopmentofperspectiveintheRenaissance—tocreateabeautifulandpoignantvisionofwhatmighthavebeen.AuthorKentLarsonhasdelveddeepintoKahn'sextensivearchivestoconstructfaithfulcomputermodelsofaseriesofproposalsthearchitectwasnotabletobuild：theU.S.ConsulateinLuanda，Angola;theMeetingHouseoftheSalkInstituteinLaJolla;theMikvehIsraelSynagogueinPhiladelphia;theMemorialtoSixMillionJewishMartyrsinNewYorkCity;threeproposalsfortheHurvaSynagogueinJerusalem;andthePalazzodeiCongressiinVenice.Theresultingcomputer-generatedimagespresentstrikingviewsofrealbuildingsinrealsites.Eachdetailisexquisitelyrendered，fromcomplexconcretetexturestosubtleinterreflectionsandpatternsofsunlightandshadow.Kahn'sfamousstatement—"Ithoughtofwrappingruinsaroundbuildings"—isborneoutbytheviewsofhisunbuiltworks;hisrigorousexplorationoftactilityandsensation，lightandform，isequallyevident.Complementingthenewcomputerimagesisextensivearchivalmaterial—roughpreliminarydrawings，finelydelineatedplans，andbeautifultravelsketches.Larsonalsopresentsfascinatingdocumentationofeachproject，oftenincludingcorrespondencewiththeclientsthatshowsnotonlythedeeprespectaccordedthearchitectbutthecomplicatedcircumstancesthatsometimesmadeitimpossibletobringadesigntofruition.NotonlyahistoricalstudyofKahn'sunbuiltworks，thisvolumeisinitselfanintriguingalternativehistoryofarchitecture.