Louis Kahn is a world-famous architect born in Estonia. This newly opened exhibition tries to find parallels between the works of the architect and the island's medieval architecture, where he spent most of his childhood. Saaremaa - the biggest island of Estonia is known as a good recreation place with unique nature and a lot of sights. Saaremaa has retained its uniqueness due to its location and insulation.
 
The exhibition curator Heie Treier said that Kahn told everyone that he comes from an island where is a castle. "I've been to quite a number of Kahn's buildings and I thought I was going crazy, since I was in the middle of US, but it felt like Kuressaare castle.'' said Treier.

In search of links between Kahn's creations photographer Arne Maasik specially traveled to America. ''This time I only went to the east cost of the US. This T window is specific and unique to Kuressaare castle, but due to Kahn having these T windows in several buildings, it is grounds to believe that he has found it from here.” Said Maasik

Born in 1901 in Kuressaare, Louis Kahn emigrated from Saaremaa, when he was just 5 years old. He might have visited Saaremaa again during his travels to Estonia and Latvia in 1928.

"He claims himself, that he then was for a month in Kuressaare, which is quite logical, since he sailed from Riga to Kuressaare," explained the curator of the exhibition.

It was the 115th anniversary of Louis Kahn's birth on the 20th of February this year. He has been named to be one of the world's ten most influential architects.

Original post published in ERR with video (Estonian): http://kultuur.err.ee/v/4256ae4a-59b9-45f5-afc9-76e2cf654e32