Louis I. Kahn: Esherick House, Fisher House brings together two of Kahn's most quietly resolved domestic works — the Esherick House in Chestnut Hill and the Fisher House in suburban Philadelphia — revealing how his spatial thinking operated at the intimate scale of the private dwelling.
About This Book
Kahn is most readily associated with monumental civic and cultural architecture, yet his residential work repays close attention precisely because it applies the same ordering principles to the programme of domestic life. The Margaret Esherick House (1959–1961) sits within an enclave of modest modern houses in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, while the Fisher House (1960–1967), not far away, draws on the region's vernacular through vertical cypress cladding set above rough-cut stone. Photographed by Yukio Futagawa, this volume presents both houses as architectural arguments — evidence that Kahn's hierarchical thinking was never contingent on scale. Essential for students of twentieth-century residential architecture and anyone tracing the relationship between modernism and material specificity.
Key Features
- 64 pages of large-format architectural photography and documentation
- Photography and editorial by Yukio Futagawa
- Detailed coverage of the Margaret Esherick House (1959–1961), Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, and the Fisher House (1960–1967), suburban Philadelphia
- Published by Ada Eita
What You'll Discover
- How Kahn imposed rigorous spatial hierarchy on the domestic programme — the same ordering logic present in his larger civic works, regardless of scale
- The Esherick House's relationship to its context: a considered modern insertion within an established enclave of modest houses in Chestnut Hill
- The Fisher House's engagement with regional vernacular architecture through the material contrast of vertical cypress strips above a rough-cut stone foundation
- How Futagawa's large-format photography reads architectural intention through light, material, and spatial sequence rather than representation alone
About the Author
Yukio Futagawa is one of the most respected architectural photographers and editors of the twentieth century, best known for his sustained documentation of modern architecture through the Global Architecture series. His close working relationships with major architects allowed him to photograph buildings with an interpretive depth rarely matched in the field.
Specifications
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 64
- Dimensions: 260 x 360 mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9784871405669
- Publisher: Ada Eita
- Publication Date: [Details available upon request]
Perfect For: Architects and students with a serious interest in Louis I. Kahn, researchers of twentieth-century American residential architecture, and collectors of Futagawa's documentary photography.