FILM: Architect Louis Icon

Louis I. Kahn's illegitimate son Nathaniel has made a wonderful movie about his father called "My Architect". The website for the movie has a list of theaters showing the movie. Try to see it if you can.

I was a graduate student in architecture at the University of Pennyslvania the year after "Lou" died. Many of the faculty members were Lou Devotees (LD's), and a common comment during desk crits and the group jurys was "Lou wouldn't have done it that way."

What Lou would have done was also a matter of frequent speculation. On one jury LD Carlos Valhonrat jumped up and passionately declared in his beautiful Argentine English, " ¡ I loved Lou ! Lou would have . . ."

But before he could finish, LD Anne Tyng jumped up and cried, "Love him!?! I had his baby!" (Tyng was the mother of Nathaniel's illegitimate half-sister. Lou's legitimate wife also had a daughter.)

One of the best things about "My Architect" is that Nathaniel captures this passion on film, from all sorts of people -- his aunts, users of Lou's buildings around the world, and the noted Philadelphia urban planner Edward Bacon (father of Kevin).

In the film, a very old, tall and lanky Bacon stands on a streetcorner in Philadelphia, talking about his relationship with Kahn as the planner for Philadelphia.

Gee, Mr. Bacon, you seem to be rather angry about my father, Nathaniel says.

ANGRY! I'M NOT ANGRY! Bacon yells. WHY CAN'T YOU STUPID PEOPLE GET IT RIGHT ABOUT KAHN? HE . . .

A Pakistani citizen in Islamabad is equally passionate about Lou's majestic buildings there, and it is good to see people so passionate about architecture and urbanism.

Lou does not come off as a very nice person in the film, but his greatness, and passion, as an architect shine through. A great movie.