Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Copy Kahn’s


One thing that has happened in Bangladesh since we have been going there has been a major increase in the standard of building. Call it the Dubai effect. Bangladeshis have been a major force in the building of that city and they've come back home to produce buildings with the international level quality and finish. It's particularly amazing when you realise that even in high-rise projects concrete pours are delivered on site via woks on the heads of endless streams of workers.
And is the spirit of Louis Kahn apparent in these modern buildings? Not so much. But it was great to spot his influence in the oddest places, including a gas station.
Images: Louis Kahn alive and well in Dhaka. Top, a disused gas station. Middle, a mosque and inside the airport's international terminal and bottom, bus station.