To many architects, Louis Kahn’s 1955 Trenton Bath House in Ewing, New Jersey, just restored by Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects (FMG), exudes everything that worked in 20th-century architecture. This concise design for the Jewish Community Center in a Trenton suburb engages in a thoughtful dialogue with history using modest materials. But the Bath House also is a disappointment. It began crumbling soon after completion, and Kahn’s larger civic vision for the site proved too idealized for the clients to take on.
The Louis I. Kahn Trenton Bath House (1955) is famous for the sense of monumentality achieved by its Greek-cross plan, elegant proportions, and cubiform volumes, all executed with the humblest materials — concrete block and asphalt roof shingles. The structure was recently restored by the Princeton firm of Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.