I visited the National Assembly building in Dhaka as an 11 year old. At the time, I had no idea about Louis Kahn, I just thought they were really cool, awe-inspiring buildings. I didn’t realize the significance of Kahn and those buildings until I saw the Oscar-nominated documentary “My Architect” by Kahn’s son Nathaniel.
Louis Kahn was the king of introverts. But he gave us introverts an important hint - if we use our talents in the right direction, we introverts can survive through this world, and reach greatness. Thank you, Mr. Kahn.
This man went to a war-torn impoverished country in the 70s and stayed there for a while to design their national parliament building, a landmark that houses the sense of democracy of that country. I am Bangladeshi and I am eternally grateful for the parliament building he designed for us. No camera can capture the true beauty of the entire complex. The way Kahn integrated the waterbody, the natural light, the acoustics in the design- being inside the building transports you to a different world altogether. Thanks, maestro!
The thing is, you see the beauty of these buildings only once you have been convinced that they are beautiful and accepted certain values, like that ornament is bad and minimalism is good. Also they work best as isolated statements surrounded by nature. These limits are a big problem. Because most of us like ornament and most of us live surrounded by many buildings, not in a remote modernist villa. And when you see it everywhere, the monotonous concrete is not serene anymore, it is just depressing. And no matter how much you tell us that we should feel different, we feel relieved when we leave a minimalist neighborhood and reach the rich and organic architecture of the 19th century or earlier.
I once heard it described this way. World War II traumatized the entire world. The artists and writers and architects who grew up during that time created un-human works. Sort of like, 'You want ugliness? You got it!' So, graphic art lost form; music lost melody, dance lost grace, writers lost plot, and architects designed protective bunkers inspired by trauma. Now we. later generations, are traumatized by these works. . . I don't know if it's true, but it makes sense to me.
I love Kahn’s work - I only discovered him later in life - sadly he seems to often be overlooked - perhaps because of the unfashionable nature of some of his more brutalist works.
Video about art , discussing fusion of modern and ancestral, voiced by Alain himself - things do get better I guess. I'm glad you decided to voice this, after so long 😍
As a disciple of architecture, my love for the discipline was truly incepted by Le Corbusier in encyclopedias at single figure age. That love bloomed and flourished when I visited Salk Institute. This video articulately describes the genius of Kahn and the reason why he’s my inspiration.
When Bangladesh was under attack from Pakistan during their war for independence, the pakistani air force didnt bomb the Dhaka parliment building - then under construction - since it seemed to them from above like the ruins of an ancient fortress. To think that if Kahn wasn't the author of that building things wouldve gone very different. His contribution wasnt just to architecture alone.
Monumentality works quite rarely, but when it does, its breathtaking. As an architecture student, I still have somewhat of a fear of symmetry, but maybe I´ll learn..
Kahn's best work is the parliament building of Bangladesh.Mass people of Bangladesh respect him as like as the famous Bangladeshi architect Fazlur Rahman khan.
Kahn was brilliant. We studied him like crazy at RPI. He was also an intense and almost maniacle man who had three families. His insane personal life doesn't detract from his brilliance as an architect. If anyone wants to know more about him, watch a documentary called "My Architect." It is made by one of his children. I think the son of a woman that Kahn was with when he was married to his second wife. It's nuts and beautiful.
An architect friend used to say there's such a thing as good manners in architecture. All the modern insults to our need for beauty suggest that there are bad manners too
I'm losing my mind. This is all my favourite things in one video. Old and new architecture clashing. Modern materials, ancient thought. This silky voice. Gonna go get an architecture degree brb
Thanks for the video, Alain! How would you feel about exploring automotive/product design? The beloved object society idolaze, the classic contemporary designs, etc.
Please make a video on Abu 'Ali al-Husayn ibn Sina, who is better known in Europe by the Latinized name “Avicenna.” He is probably the most significant philosopher in the Islamic tradition and arguably the most influential philosopher of the pre-modern era.
The Kimbell art museum being possibly the most beautiful building in the world is possibly thee boldest statement I think I have ever heard in my life. I love you Alain but that is ridiculous.
I was a 21-year-old undergraduate when one of Kahn's last buildings opened to the public, the Yale Center for British Art, with galleries illuminated by sunlit atria (and retail space at street level). His modern Yale Art Gallery connected to OLD Street Hall, was one of the first building I frequented as a freshman. And my routine every day had me in buildings that had been designed by Eero Saarinen and Paul Rudolph -- cool, functional modernist stuff -- in addition to a lot of faux-revivalist stuff: Beaux Arts and American Collegiate Gothic. Then I would trundle off to lectures by Vincent Scully. It was an eye-opening trip, and I didn't have to mortgage my future to make it. I bussed tables and worked in record stores, and graduated without student debt. We hadn't yet fucked American youth by making education unaffordable. Thank you, Republicans, for mortgaging an educated America to pander to greed and capitalism.
The problem with traditional building materials is that in order to meet earthquake standards they need to be loaded up with steel reinforcement to the point where they are an expensive vener. Steel concrete and glass are honest materials that are not pretending to be somthing they are not.
There are spam bots, $ex bots, and now I see in the comments self-help Inspo bots?! (Wonder which will reply to my comment first I’m betting it’ll be a $ex bot)
He was born in Estonia, not Russia. Kuressaare, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire which is Present-day Kuressaare, Estonia. But please do not mislead.
...was the la Jolla Institute (among other works) designed by someone who "cared about good architecture"? Go there, spend two days in that bleak compound and then find the right adjective...True, the work looks good enough photographed, or in video clips...
No! you guys misspelt our beloved city as dakar 😢 its Dhaka..yeah its spectacular and epitome of excellence Though it is not that sustainable,, we need to spend a lot of money for its maintenance cost..thats the biggest weak point of this great building
Those videos devoted to specific Artists/Writers/Philosophers are easily my favorite
I’m just happy to hear Alain’s voice again ☺️. His voice is so soothing, it’s been awhile.
I visited the National Assembly building in Dhaka as an 11 year old. At the time, I had no idea about Louis Kahn, I just thought they were really cool, awe-inspiring buildings. I didn’t realize the significance of Kahn and those buildings until I saw the Oscar-nominated documentary “My Architect” by Kahn’s son Nathaniel.
Me too
Louis I Kahn was the man who designed the parliament building of Bangladesh 🇧🇩 where I'm living now. We love and respect him 💝.
How did you come to Bangladesh?
Hey. I am also from Bangladesh.
the reason why i clicked on this video!
First time to see and learn about that building. It is indeed magnificent!!
But that country s..ucks. Can't stand the blaring earr...ape of the azan from thousand different mosques, 5 times a day, 365 days a year!!!
I love allain de botton's voice
Who doesn't... Morgan Freeman, Alain de Botton and David Attenborough are three greatest voice in my view.
Me too! I miss his voice very much in some of the other School Of Life videos.
Can’t agree more
Louis Kahn was the king of introverts. But he gave us introverts an important hint - if we use our talents in the right direction, we introverts can survive through this world, and reach greatness. Thank you, Mr. Kahn.
And also secretly have three different families
Not just survive but thrive...
He was not an introvert man.
I needed this so much! Thank you! 🙂
I know next to nothing about the man other than what I heard on this video. How was he an introvert?
This man went to a war-torn impoverished country in the 70s and stayed there for a while to design their national parliament building, a landmark that houses the sense of democracy of that country. I am Bangladeshi and I am eternally grateful for the parliament building he designed for us. No camera can capture the true beauty of the entire complex. The way Kahn integrated the waterbody, the natural light, the acoustics in the design- being inside the building transports you to a different world altogether. Thanks, maestro!
Finally the voice I've been waiting for.
The rare Architecture Series addition is always a treat. More please!
We Bangladeshis are grateful to Kahn. And thank you, The School of Life. It's even more refreshing to hear Alain de Botton's voice again.
The thing is, you see the beauty of these buildings only once you have been convinced that they are beautiful and accepted certain values, like that ornament is bad and minimalism is good. Also they work best as isolated statements surrounded by nature. These limits are a big problem. Because most of us like ornament and most of us live surrounded by many buildings, not in a remote modernist villa. And when you see it everywhere, the monotonous concrete is not serene anymore, it is just depressing. And no matter how much you tell us that we should feel different, we feel relieved when we leave a minimalist neighborhood and reach the rich and organic architecture of the 19th century or earlier.
I once heard it described this way. World War II traumatized the entire world. The artists and writers and architects who grew up during that time created un-human works. Sort of like, 'You want ugliness? You got it!' So, graphic art lost form; music lost melody, dance lost grace, writers lost plot, and architects designed protective bunkers inspired by trauma. Now we. later generations, are traumatized by these works. . . I don't know if it's true, but it makes sense to me.
Im not buying it, Kahn´s architecture is just glorified Brutalism
I love Kahn’s work - I only discovered him later in life - sadly he seems to often be overlooked - perhaps because of the unfashionable nature of some of his more brutalist works.
I absolutely love these videos about great thinkers and their fields, wish TSOL kept doing more of these
Our Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban or National Parliament House is so beautiful (Bangladesh 🇧🇩). The architect is Mr. Louis Kahn.
Video about art , discussing fusion of modern and ancestral, voiced by Alain himself - things do get better I guess. I'm glad you decided to voice this, after so long 😍
Nice to hear Alain’s voice again, even if I don’t really care that much about architecture.
i've missed these videos, they were my favorite kind
I'm an Architect and subscriber of this channel for about 2 years now... first Neimeyer now Khan... This is so cool !
Mr. Kahn is my all time favorite architect.
As a disciple of architecture, my love for the discipline was truly incepted by Le Corbusier in encyclopedias at single figure age. That love bloomed and flourished when I visited Salk Institute. This video articulately describes the genius of Kahn and the reason why he’s my inspiration.
When Bangladesh was under attack from Pakistan during their war for independence, the pakistani air force didnt bomb the Dhaka parliment building - then under construction - since it seemed to them from above like the ruins of an ancient fortress. To think that if Kahn wasn't the author of that building things wouldve gone very different. His contribution wasnt just to architecture alone.
really like the architecture series! would love one about carlo scarpa too!
Im so glad you all have started to make these videos again.
My FAVOURITE Architect!!!!
Please do more videos like this about authors, artists and architects
Happy to hear Alain's voice again!
Ah yes, Alain is back! And discussing art and architecture!
Finally we hear Alain's voice!
Ohh I've missed your voice, I'm so glad you're back!
This video makes me cry for so many reasons.. too many and too private.
Monumentality works quite rarely, but when it does, its breathtaking. As an architecture student, I still have somewhat of a fear of symmetry, but maybe I´ll learn..
Fascinating video, we need more of these
Boy, I missed de Botton’s narration so much!!
The series is back, hope you make more of it, many greats yet to be covered
I really missed your videos focusing on individual artists, writers, and other intellects. Keep making these excellent videos!
Kahn's best work is the parliament building of Bangladesh.Mass people of Bangladesh respect him as like as the famous Bangladeshi architect Fazlur Rahman khan.
Kahn was brilliant. We studied him like crazy at RPI. He was also an intense and almost maniacle man who had three families. His insane personal life doesn't detract from his brilliance as an architect. If anyone wants to know more about him, watch a documentary called "My Architect." It is made by one of his children. I think the son of a woman that Kahn was with when he was married to his second wife. It's nuts and beautiful.
Thank you ☺️
Master Architect timeless architecture inspiration for all times!!
Finally a video with Alain's voice😍
I missed these Art/philosophy/literature videos soooo much on School of Life!
The most famous street person ... I have admired him forever...always the arch, never just a brick!!
Yes!!! I’m so glad sol is putting out these videos again :)
An architect friend used to say there's such a thing as good manners in architecture. All the modern insults to our need for beauty suggest that there are bad manners too
I'm losing my mind. This is all my favourite things in one video. Old and new architecture clashing. Modern materials, ancient thought. This silky voice. Gonna go get an architecture degree brb
I hope to see you in the field someday!
Ah you made me fall in love with me degree!
Your voice again!😃
Wasn't he born in Estonia????????????
Maybe the misunderstanding is because at that time was still part of the Soviet Union.
But I guess no Estonian would like to be assumed Russian
At that time it was the Russian Empire. But indeed, he was born in Saaremaa Island, Estonia. @@mariagarciacastillejo4083
My body is a condemned house, that's all.
Thanks for the video, Alain! How would you feel about exploring automotive/product design? The beloved object society idolaze, the classic contemporary designs, etc.
Architecture series this sooo amazing I finished philosophy series 1 year ago and my Architecture degree too
Please make a video on Abu 'Ali al-Husayn ibn Sina, who is better known in Europe by the Latinized name “Avicenna.” He is probably the most significant philosopher in the Islamic tradition and arguably the most influential philosopher of the pre-modern era.
TSOL is the only channel I know fighting to save and restore beauty of architecture.
The Kimbell art museum being possibly the most beautiful building in the world is possibly thee boldest statement I think I have ever heard in my life. I love you Alain but that is ridiculous.
nice to hear your own voice on videos sir ❤️ we missed u
Missed these type of videos
I was a 21-year-old undergraduate when one of Kahn's last buildings opened to the public, the Yale Center for British Art, with galleries illuminated by sunlit atria (and retail space at street level). His modern Yale Art Gallery connected to OLD Street Hall, was one of the first building I frequented as a freshman. And my routine every day had me in buildings that had been designed by Eero Saarinen and Paul Rudolph -- cool, functional modernist stuff -- in addition to a lot of faux-revivalist stuff: Beaux Arts and American Collegiate Gothic. Then I would trundle off to lectures by Vincent Scully. It was an eye-opening trip, and I didn't have to mortgage my future to make it. I bussed tables and worked in record stores, and graduated without student debt. We hadn't yet fucked American youth by making education unaffordable.
Thank you, Republicans, for mortgaging an educated America to pander to greed and capitalism.
How could someone forget the magnificent IIM Ahmedabad infrastructure designed by Kahn himself.
It is shown at 3:10
I very much like your narrative style
Thanks for Sharing.
Art & Architecture are Shows our art and creativity of our ancient people Ancient art vs morden art The sculpture shows Aesthetic values of art
All we have to do is decide what to do with the materials that have been given to us!
The problem with traditional building materials is that in order to meet earthquake standards they need to be loaded up with steel reinforcement to the point where they are an expensive vener. Steel concrete and glass are honest materials that are not pretending to be somthing they are not.
I missed your voice Allain!!
More of architecture series please
Thank you😍
I love your videos on art!
I would be really interested in a video: School of Life - the people behind our videos. Have a good day!
Highly inspiring as always. Keep this Art series flowing ~
4:33 parliament building of Bangladesh
Loius Kahn was born in Estonia, not Russia
Allain de bottom voice is awesome
That is quite a hot take you snuck in at the end that the kimball is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
amazing
it is very infomative video . much appreciation
Would really appreciate a video on mussolini and fascism.
There are spam bots, $ex bots, and now I see in the comments self-help Inspo bots?! (Wonder which will reply to my comment first I’m betting it’ll be a $ex bot)
A great man!
the soundtrack feels like a bond movie
Love the background music of this, does anyone know what it is?
Wow, these are some amazing prisons.
louis kahn wasnt born in russia, he was borm in Estonia. he is american-estonian.
You forgot the library at Exeter.
I love your voice
Nice interesting video, thanks
an awesome edited video, sound is good too :)
Excelente 👊
Allen dobatten voice ❤❤
The Romans might have something to say about your opening statement that concrete is a modern medium.
This is a joke right? that last building, the concrete tunnel is possibly the most beautiful building in the world? this has to be a joke.
Is there a topic that Alain cannot make a video?
please make one for Zaha hadid
He is the architect of Bangladesh Parliament
the building in india looks like something out of dune
Kahn recognized beauty, but couldn't create it. His buildings are ugly. Come at me, bro.
Does some know the song?
He was born in Saaremaa Estonia
Bangladesh Parliament 🇧🇩❤️🇧🇩
I wish Allain de Botton could narrate my life. Maybe I'll like it better then.😂
He was born in Estonia, not Russia. Kuressaare, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire which is Present-day Kuressaare, Estonia. But please do not mislead.
...was the la Jolla Institute (among other works) designed by someone who "cared about good architecture"? Go there, spend two days in that bleak compound and then find the right adjective...True, the work looks good enough photographed, or in video clips...
Does every school of life video have to contain the word "virtue"
No! you guys misspelt our beloved city as dakar 😢 its Dhaka..yeah its spectacular and epitome of excellence Though it is not that sustainable,, we need to spend a lot of money for its maintenance cost..thats the biggest weak point of this great building