Some Restoration In Store For Louis Kahn’s Salk Institute

The Salk Institute, designed by Louis Kahn. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, a famous architectural gem by Louis Kahn, is under threat.  The wood-and-concrete property, which sits near the beaches of the Pacific in La Jolla, California, has not been situated in the greatest of environments and its starting to show on the building. As Brigitte Brown of Architizer writes:

“It’s perfectly tranquil in all of its concrete and wood glory — but, because of the structure’s proximity to the salty and sandy marine environment, it is at a preservation disadvantage. Visitors today can clearly note how the teak wood “window walls” are taking a beating.”

Fortunately, the Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative is here to save it. And other buildings in the process too.

CMAI, a partnership between the Salk Institute and the Getty Conservation Institute, is trying to develop a plan that will help conserve Khan’s architectural masterpiece. However, as whole, CMAI is looking to “help with the distinct challenges of conserving modern architecture” because despite “all the innovative techniques and use of materials,” many, like Kahn’s Salk work, are “rapidly deteriorating.”

This Is How You Save a Louis Kahn Masterpiece [Architizer]