For Philadelphia's Famed Architect,
A Fitting Memorial
The park was founded in memory of Louis I. Kahn (1901-1974), a Philadelphia architect and educator of international acclaim and a resident of nearby Clinton STreet. Born in Estonia, Kahn emigrated to Philadelphia where he lived the rest of his life. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania where he later served with distinction as Cret Professor of Architecture.
The stylized comet in the park's sign symbolizes how his ideas -- simple geometries and a visual concern for natural light -- blazed across the architectural firmament. Just as the park's fountain is its centerpiece, Kahn frequently incoporated the sparkle of living water in his designs. Among his structures, locally: the Richards Medical Research Building, University of Pennsylvania; Erdman Hall, Bryn Mawr College.
Louis I. Kahn Park embodies the architect's famous poetic statement: "The street is a room by agreement...a community room dedicated to the city for common use...it's ceiling is the sky."