Louis I. Kahn’s elegant statement of learning, the Class of 1945 Library, has established Philips Exeter Academy in the annals of architectural history. Large geometric forms punctuate the light-infused building, symbolically emphasizing the significant powers of reading and education.

Keast & Hood was responsible for the reinforced concrete structure of the library. On the exterior, repeating brick piers become wider closer to the ground to support live loads from the stacks of books. Clad in red “Exeter” brick, the library matches the Georgian architecture of the prep school’s other campus buildings, but in a form contemporary to its 1971 completion. Most importantly, the library was designed around the users of the books rather than the books themselves.

The Library at Philips Exeter Academy was awarded an American Institute of Architects Twenty-Five Year Award in 1997.

Louis I. Kahn’s elegant statement of learning, the Class of 1945 Library, has established Philips Exeter Academy in the annals of architectural history. Large geometric forms punctuate the light-infused building, symbolically emphasizing the significant powers of reading and education.

Keast & Hood was responsible for the reinforced concrete structure of the library. On the exterior, repeating brick piers become wider closer to the ground to support live loads from the stacks of books. Clad in red “Exeter” brick, the library matches the Georgian architecture of the prep school’s other campus buildings, but in a form contemporary to its 1971 completion. Most importantly, the library was designed around the users of the books rather than the books themselves.

The Library at Philips Exeter Academy was awarded an American Institute of Architects Twenty-Five Year Award in 1997.

CLIENT: Louis I. Kahn
LOCATION: Exeter, NH

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