Le Corbusier on Le Corbusier

Author: I.M. Pei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: "Give your all" was the teaching young Louis Kahn received from his grandfather at the age of eight, and now, in his eighties, it remains his motto. His grandfather also passed on to him another saying from Confucius: "To govern by virtue, as the North Star, remaining in its place, all the stars revolve around it." There is a common point between the universe and Louis Kahn: we understand both very little. As an architect, Louis Kahn's primary intention in this book is to improve this. Louis Kahn has always hoped that people would understand him through his architecture; this book is his first detailed discussion of his works, life, influences, life lessons, and his relentless pursuit of perfection. Therefore, I also hope to pass on Louis Kahn's architectural philosophy to the next generation of architects, to all those who work and live in Louis Kahn's architectural works, and to the fortunate friends who have the opportunity to enter his buildings to appreciate art and music. My conversations with Louis Kahn primarily took place during the five years we worked together on film projects (in New York, Paris, Berlin, Kyoto, and Luxembourg), during which time he became my close friend. Louis Kahn's architecture uniquely reflects the new aesthetic standards born from the fusion of Eastern and Western traditions—the eternal stone and glass. At this point, we may have ventured into the dangerous territory of interpreting his architectural works arbitrarily, something he has always been reluctant to do. Let him speak for himself. This book introduces the renowned Chinese-American architect Louis Kahn in a text-and-image format, reviewing his family background and upbringing, his studies in the United States, and showcasing his masterpieces while commenting on his design style.