Louis Kahn: Only architecture can be the very life of me.

Louis Kahn (1901–1974) was an iconic and distinctive master in the history of modern architecture. Born in Estonia, he immigrated to Philadelphia, USA, at the age of five and graduated from the Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania in 1924. Hailed as "the philosopher-poet of architecture", he came into his own as a leading figure in his fifties, earning recognition as one of the most influential architects of the 20th century. Rather than following the mainstream modernist movement, he drew inspiration from classical architecture and integrated humanistic and philosophical reflections into his designs.

OHis architectural philosophy emphasized the concepts of "Silence and Light" and "served and servant spaces". He also made groundbreaking contributions to the use of light and shadow and the application of geometric forms, continuing to inspire generations of architects and forging a poetic realm of light, shadow and space.