Yale University Art Gallery – Kahn Building
Louis Kahn · New Haven, United States · 1953
Louis Kahn’s 1953 addition to the Yale University Art Gallery was his first major commission and an early statement of his mature architectural language. A concrete tetrahedral ceiling integrates structure and mechanical distribution, while open gallery floors and a cylindrical stair contrast with the historic buildings around them. The exterior is deliberately restrained, allowing the interior order of structure and circulation to dominate. The building became a key bridge between International Style functionalism and Kahn’s later emphasis on construction, geometry and served spaces.