Esherick House, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Related people

Jane Murphy (photographer)
Louis Isidore Kahn (was created by)
Lindsey McLaughlin (studio professor)

Date

1959-1961

Description

"The plan is a served near-square with an oblong attached servant area containing a kitchen and laundry below and bathrooms above. It seems based on a 3-foot-6-inch module: the main area is 9 by 9 (plus 1) modules, and the servant area is produced by a diagonal on the square...The interior volume is articulated by a staircase, one module wide. On the entirely glazed garden side, the exterior is dominated by the deep reveals of the wooden window frames, while the street elevation is much flatter...Both sides are governed by the play of the modules: 1, 2, 1, then by a deeper articulation, 2 by 2 modules, and again 1, 2, 1. The fireplace in the living room, on the narrower side of the house, is a module wide; the window above it opens on the tall chimney, which stands independent of the house walls." --Rykwert, J. (2001). Louis Kahn. Harry Abrams, Inc. Publishers: New York, p. 53. Keywords: modular, stucco.

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