Albert kahn architect biography samples

Frequently mentioned in the extant literature are brothers Julius b. Views of Albert Kahn have served as a barometer for the intellectual climate in architecture culture since the early 20th century, indexing the relative importance of aesthetics, ethics, and technics. Studies of Kahn and his firm have, until recently, primarily focused on their contributions to industrial architecture and the influence of their early factory buildings on architecture culture at large.

These studies often describe the give-and-take between assembly lines and the streamlined, pragmatic design of the buildings that encompassed them. Some scholars have addressed the shift toward large, integrated offices within the profession, for which Albert Kahn Associates was a groundbreaking exemplar. Others have addressed the ways Kahn served the growth of global enterprise, revealing that his marginalization from architectural history has effaced the willful complicity of US architects in compounding capitalist power and solidifying its ideology.

These topics remain rich veins for future researchers. Bucci is the standard scholarly biography because of its breadth of subjects. The concise biography in Bund and Teran serves to orient researchers within the intimidating Kahn archival collections. Zimmerman is the best source for a summary of themes and problems within Kahn historiography.

Bucci, Federico. Albert Kahn: Architect of Ford.

Albert kahn architect biography samples

Translated by Carmen DiCinque. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, This book is the best introduction to the biography and contributions of Albert Kahn. Originally published in Italian init was reissued in paperback in Bucci, Fredrico. Albert Kahn, Architect of Ford. Ferry, W. The Legacy of Albert Kahn. Hodges, Michael. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, Hyde, Charles K.

Smith, Michael G. Smith, Terry. Albert Kahn: Buildings in Metro Detroit. Historical Detroit Area Architecture. I have never known anyone with such enormous capacity for concentration and application to study. Through his research he soon developed the first scientific method for reinforcing concrete with steel; his method was both practical and economical.

Truscon went on to become the largest steel fabricating firm in the country during the s. Julius Kahn invented a highly successful method of floor construction that was used with his steel reinforcement bars. The hollow terra cotta blocks made a floor that was as strong as solid concrete but lighter in weight, less expensive to construct, and offered a smooth, light reflecting ceiling for the floor below.

The entire area within the concrete frame of the building was filled with glass, allowing the maximum amount of natural light to enter and illuminate the work area — an important feature in the era before effective artificial lighting was developed. Above: the glass plant as it looked upon completion in Albert Kahn Associates photo.

Construction of the plant began in March and production of bombers began that September. By the end of the war, a new bomber was turned out every 63 minutes. By the 's Kahn's firm had grown substantially, and had obtained commissions for tractor factories in the USSR, for an aircraft plant for Glenn Martin now Lockheed-Martinfor dozens of automotive and parts assembly plants in the USA, and for major commercial and institutional projects in the Detroit area.

Kahn remained active until the time of his death in Detroit on 8 December obit. Windsor Daily Star, 8 Dec. Detroit Free Press, 9 Dec. An extensive article on the Canadian buildings designed by Kahn was prepared by Prof.