The Kimbell Art Museum: The Original Louis Kahn Building

With eyes on the new glazed pavilion designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, here's a look back at Louis Kahn's original Kimbell, which put the institution on the architectural map.

The main entrance, with its grove of trees. View from the west.

Richard Barnes

The main entrance, with its grove of trees. View from the west.

When photographer Richard Barnes was in Fort Worth, Texas, documenting the new Renzo Piano Pavilion at the Kimbell Art Museum (designed, appropriately, by Renzo Piano, Hon. FAIA), he also documented the beloved 1972 masterwork designed by Louis Kahn that gave the arts institution its architectural pedigree. Here are some of those photos of what Kahn’s Kimbell looks like 41 years on, supplemented with some of Kahn’s original sketches, and archival photos from the design and construction process of the iconic structure.


















For more on the Renzo Piano Pavilion at the Kimbell Art Museum, including critiques, videos, and photo galleries, click here.


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