INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURE

ANALYSIS FOR ONE OF LOUIS KAHNS BUILDINGS

YALE CENTER FOR BRITISH ART
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NATHANIA ADELLA PANJAITAN

1706065040

UNIVERSITAS INDONESIA
2017
 ANALYSIS OF YALE CENTER FOR BRITISH ART

The Yale Centre of British Art was given to Kahn in 1969 to

be constructed on the opposite side of the road of the Yale Art
Gallery. The Yale Center for British Art was completed in 1977, the
year of Kahns death and 23 years after its neighbor, the Yale Art
Gallery. This building is often discussed in the context of Louis Kahns
death. Because of the poignancy from the coincidental arrangement
of these two buildings, many people often not to see any sustained
analysis of the building itself. This perception is promoted by the
apparent simplicity and clarity of the three dimensional grid that
organizes building. However, it is precisely this elements complexity
and nuance that makes the building critically important and worth to
study.
For this analysis I will use two of the most eligible area that
are the highlight of this building. Also, the floor plan will be analyze
each by each so the readers can understand the mechanism how
Kahns design is really unique compare to the another designer

Picture 2.1

From the picture above, first impression that I get from the
exterior perspective is that Kahn really emphasize the use of glass
and metals. Those combination seems do not match, but oddly it
works really well. It works well because those two kind of materials
reach the balance and communicates well one-another.
This building also achieve the balance from another design
perspective. He add the windows that are geometrical in shapes but
have the odd placement and distance between one another.

Picture 2.2 Picture 2.3

From the picture 1.2 and 1.3 , I do really feel that this
building looks glorious yet moderate. we can see that this building
really emphasizing the use of light. Similarly to the brief of the Kimbel
Art Museum, the Center for British Art was required to use natural
light in a specific ways. Jules Prown, the director of the center,was said
to pick Kahn to design the center because of his acuteness of natural
light
The roof is made up of terne roofing (mansards) and acrylic
dome lights. These have baffles, filters and diffusers, which modify the
light without masking its changes. Between skylights the grid is made
from concrete beams which form the coffers to support the sky. The
skylights in two courts have transparent glass domes that one of them
directly above the art translucent domes for some protection from the
UV lights . Track spotlights are use on other floors that are only side
light by the courts.
 Picture 2. 4

So from that picture and explanation earlier is that the idea was
to get as much light from the central space as possible, so that the two
sides of the peripheral spaces would have a light source on both sides.
Also the picture also show the mechanism of the filters itself
The arrangement of the glass dorm is also based on Gestalt
theory which is similarity theory and that can also we can see the
characteristic that we can see in most Kahns design which is
symmetrical. The actual mechanics were completed by Pellacia &
Meyers, after Kahns death, but they were design in the spirit of what
Kahn called for and spoke of in two courts have the same. From this
particular spaces, we can see Kahn specialization when it comes to
incorporate the wood and metals. The warm brushed metal panels
carry to the interior but are mingled with warm wooden cladding in a
glowing top-lit space.

Picture 2.6 Picture 2.7

 Picture 2.6 and 2.7 show the perspective of the Permanent
Collection Room in 4th floor. Once again, this room really emphasize
the use of light like the explanation earlier. When I first see this, I
really like how the light highlight the artworks. Also, I find it
interesting, especially about the arrangement of the artwork itself.
The room were design after Kahn seeing the collection that donated
at Paul Mellons home. The smaller rooms idea was approved by
Mellon, but he also pointed out that some larger pieces needed larger
walls and grand settings. This lead the results that you can see in
picture 2.6. The larger collection are put on their solid white oak
paneling as the backdrop of the sculpture collection.

Picture 2.8
Floor plan for the basement

Picture 2.9
Floor plan for the first floor
 Picture 2.10
Floor plan for the second floor

Picture 2.11
Floor plan for the third floor

Picture 2.12
Floor plan for the fourth floor
 Those pictures above explain the general floor plan of the
buildings. You can see the division amongst each room in those
pictures.

Picture 2.13
Floor plan and structural plan
Source : http://www.nicholaskehagias.com/louis-kahns-ycba/

This building a was designed at 10x6 grid. It lends to

analysis due to the subtlety with which Kahn deviates from the
apparent formal clarity the buildings Cartesian system, and the spatial
consequences of these deviations. This approach is not typical of
Kahns work. Many of his buildings, such as the Exeter library and
National Assembly building in Bangladesh are praised for their
absolute formal clarity and organizational logic.
 This building also The origin of the 10 x 6 grid are based in
5:3 ratio that can be traced back to the mathematician of Ancient
Greece. The ratio occurs in its purest form at street level in the 5 foot
x 3 foot openings for the shops and building entrance. The use of the
ratio to organize multiple elements leads results a grid system that is
experienced through out the building. On the ground floor, we as a
visitor can perceive the grid system in the roof beams.

Picture 2.15
The grid organization

From picture above, Kahn uses the grid as an

organizational device. Kahn uses its own structural characteristic to
suggest weight and give the building that contrast its abstract,
geometric nature.
 Picture 2.14
The Greek cross pattern
Source : http://www.nicholaskehagias.com/louis-kahns-ycba/

The Greek cross pattern can be seen in this building if you

remove the columns that Kahn removed and replace to define the
missing grid units. Commonly used in the design of Orthodox
Churches, the Greek cross plan was also can be found during the
Renaissance, most notably in Bramantes plan for St. Peters Basilica.
So, from the analysis that Ive made, I feel that this
building have his own characteristic that rarely found in other Kahns
design without changing his personal style. I also found that light is
the most important thing in this buildings design because the
importance of this building is to highlight the artwork that can be
exhibit here and I personally love the way light use here. It make a
grandiose feel when you enter this building. Finally, I think this
building really express the life-time experience of Kahn in arts and
design.
 REFERENCE

http://www.nicholaskehagias.com/louis-kahns-ycba/
https://britishart.yale.edu
http://www.bcf.usc.edu/~kcoleman/Precedents/ALL%20PDFs/Kahn_
YaleCenter.pdf