Pick-Up 041: My Architect
Hey friends,
This week, I’ve been moved by this documentary film “My Architect: A Son’s Journey”.
It’s about the American architect Louis Kahn, by his son Nathaniel Kahn.
I remember my third year of architecture school professor telling us about Lou’s tragic death in the restroom of a train station, unknown and penniless and that was the only side I knew to his personal life.
But through the film, you kinda get involved way too much into the personal life of this man that he preferred to keep private. So I was a bit annoyed, to be honest, that all of these parts he kept in secrecy were out to the open and revealed for everyone to hear. But at the same time, I felt Nathaniel’s need to tell his story and get to know his dad and understand why he behaved the way he did.
I felt perplexed as I watched. I was afraid that this new information would change the way I thought about Kahn and his architecture. And it made me wonder to which degree can we really separate the art from the artist and consider each on its own.
Throughout the movie, Nathaniel visits his dad’s buildings in the US, India, and Bangladesh and has conversations with people who knew him. You get to see that he was mostly loved and described by many as “human” even by the women he wronged.
The end was charged with emotions. The warmth of the Bangladeshi visitors of the National Parliament House in Dhaka and the architect’s analysis of Kahn’s character left me tearful. The sound of the Adhan and the beautiful design of that mosque charged the scenes even more.
I’ve already stated in an interview I made weeks ago and that you’ll soon be able to watch, God willing, that he is one of my favorite architects. He still is btw.
I would love to visit Kahn’s buildings one day and experience the spiritual spaces he once created and eventually left behind.
Take good care. Xx
📚 The Sphere of Books
I’m currently reading Mandela’s autobiography Long Walk to Freedom and I got to discover the beautiful language of Xhosa. In order to know how this word is pronounced and the language in general with its special clicking sounds, I recommend this video. I couldn’t but laugh at the attempts of the young man.
I’ve been also listening on repeat to this famous song “Qongqothwane” or the click song as many call it by Miriam Makeba.
💭 This Week’s Quote
“Be good to people, for no reason.”
― Unknown
Thanks for Reading!
Thoughts and feedback on the newsletter or anything covered within are always welcome, just hit reply or leave me a public comment by clicking the little icon below the title. I enjoy replying to those as well.
As always, I appreciate you. ❤️
Stay curious and have a great week
Meriem.