For decades, the Salk Institute by Louis Kahn has been described, re-described, visited and honored by words upon words upon yet more words. At some point, no one wants to hear yet another descriptor of the iconic structure.
So we are not going to give you one.
What we are going to do is announce it as this year’s 25-Year-Award Recipient—nominated by a committee and voted on by the public. We will report that the Salk Institute dominated the polls, garnering nearly half of the votes. And we will quietly exit stage left leaving you with some thoughts and a photo you might have not yet read or seen from Neal Z. Schwartz, AIA, Principal at Schwartz and Architecture; Associate Professor at California College of the Arts.
Sometimes the most powerful architecture just intensifies the world around it. Particularly in California, the horizon line, where the ocean meets the sky, is an iconic and communally felt experience. The Salk Institute by Louis Kahn takes these essential elements and uses architecture to distill and refine them. The concrete walls frame the horizon line and the power of the axis towards the horizon is intensified by the water course cut into the plaza, making the connection between the built world and the natural even more palpable. The space feels empty — as if nothing is there– but in fact a masterful architect has crafted this experience for us while at the same time receding from view.
Neal J. Z. Schwartz
Principal, Schwartz and Architecture
Associate Professor, California College of the Arts
