Louis Isadore Kahn (born Itze-Leib Schmuilowsky) (February 20, 1901 or 1902 – March 17, 1974) was a world-renowned architect of Estonian Jewish origin[1], based in Philadelphia, United States. After working in various capacities for several companies in Philadelphia, he founded his own atelier in 1935. While continuing his private practice, he served as a design critic and professor of architecture at Yale School of Architecture from 1947 to 1957. From 1957 until his death he was a professor of architecture at the School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania. Influenced by ancient ruins, Kahn’s style tends to the monumental and monolithic; his heavy buildings don’t hide their weight, their materials, or the way they are assembled.

