9. Margaret Esherick
House
Location:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
arcHitEct:
Louis Kahn
ar102: Mary taylor
Built between 1959 and 1961, Kahn designed the
Esherick House for local bookstore owner Margaret
Esherick, a single woman. Sitting on a property more
than half an acre, this one-bedroom, 2,500-square-foot
dwelling is small but feels much larger. Kahn’s
principles of geometry, light and material are clearly
expressed in the Esherick house. its composition is
made up of two rectilinear volumes allowing for both
openness and structural clarity. Finished in beige con-
crete and natural apitong, a Malaysian hardwood, the
combination of the materials creates a great elegance.
Exterior features include a chimney offset from the
facade, asymmetrically placed keyhole windows along
the front elevation, and a rear double-height wall of
wood and glass, allowing the natural light to spread
throughout the open space. appropriately, the living
room is lined with built-in bookcases that nearly reach
the ceiling.
the interior also features a fireplace in a bathroom,
and a custom kitchen designed by Esherick’s uncle,
Philadelphia-based sculptor Wharton Esherick.
While both design with natural materials, Esherick’s
organic and sculptural style of the kitchen cabinetry
is in definite contrast to Kahn’s more linear geometry
found in the rest of the house.
the Esheric House is one of only three Kahn-designed
houses ever built.
in 1992, the house received a Landmark Building award
from the Philadelphia chapter of the american institute
of architects.
toP Level
BottoM Level
Project 2
Margaret Esseric House – Board
12. Project 2
Salk Studio – Presentation
0’ 50’100’ 200’ 400’ 800’
SCALE: 1” = 400’-0”
N
– Environment Analysis
Site Plan
Site Section
– Salk Topographic Map
Showing Path to Studio
– West View Perspective
– East View Perspective
– Panoramic View from Studio Site
– Parti
The studios connection to the salk are the materials used:
teak, lead, glass, steel and the high concrete walls.
The poured-in-place concrete walls create a bold
impression. Kahn had a high regard for natural light
and geometry. Kahn flooded the laboratories with daylight
by building all four outer walls of the laboratory levels out of
large, double-strength glass panes, producing an open, airy
work environment.
– Floor Plan
– West View Elevations
– West View Elevations
– Section Cut
Showing Light Study
Salk Institute
Studio
