The last week of classes has been lovely–blue skies, lush grass, and moderate temperatures. I spent an entire morning wandering from one end of campus to the other taking pictures just so I could stay outside. As I watched more than a dozen tour guides lead groups of prospective students around the grounds I thought of some images I’d recently scanned. Here is architect Louis Kahn conducting an outdoor seminar on what must have been a similar lovely day in 1967. Note someone’s abandoned shoes in the foreground:
Most of these photos exist only on contact sheets so they aren’t especially clear. I could see this next one well enough, though, to be puzzled by it. The location just didn’t look familiar, like it was turned at an odd angle:
I smiled when I understood. That tree sure got big, didn’t it? The photographer must’ve been on the lower roof of Fondren.
Bonus: Kahn’s visit to Rice resulted in a small book.
Here are the first three pages. They’re rather on the inscrutable side although the bit on page three about being badgered by the secretary rings true. I’ll keep reading . . .
Ah, the master. Good timing, I’ve just beginning a new book on Kahn: “You Say to Brick” by Wendy Lesser.
Architecture school was primarily male in those long ago days. Not so much anymore. Thank goodness.
Does it seem odd to anyone else that so many were in white shirts? It doesn’t strike me as odd that so many are in collared shirts (not T-shirts like the fellow in the back row!) — but all the white makes me think they dressed up to listen to Kahn.
Paul Kennon, founder of the RSA preceptorship program, sitting right up front with Schorre. Kahn was big in this period — we’d moved on from Mies.
I have no idea why we were wearing white shirts. I don’t remember if we were asked to dress up, but I doubt it. White shirts and jeans remain cool even today.
He was a true I. Kahn.
Ouch.
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Gabor Szalontay recently passed away – on July 31, 2020. He was a “conversation partner” with Kahn for some 14 years – from 1960 – 74. A website commemorating him along with stories about him and Kahn can be found at http://www.GaborSzalontay.com