National Historic Landmark

Alfred Newton Richards Medical Research Laboratories and David Goddard Laboratories Buildings

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
January 16, 2009
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
09000081

About this property

The Richards Medical Research Laboratories, located on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, were designed by architect Louis Kahn and are considered to have been a breakthrough in his career. The building is configured as a group of laboratory towers with a central service tower. Brick shafts on the periphery hold stairwells and air ducts, producing an effect reminiscent of the ancient Italian towers that Kahn had painted several years earlier. Rather than being supported by a hidden steel frame, the building has a structure of reinforced concrete that is clearly visible and openly depicted as bearing weight. Built with precisely formed prefabricated concrete elements, the techniques used in its construction advanced the state of the art for reinforced concrete. Despite observable shortcomings, this building helped set new directions for modern architecture with its clear expression of served and servant spaces and its evocation of the architecture of the past. The Richards Laboratories, along with the associated Goddard Laboratories, which were also designed by Kahn and are treated by architectural historians as the second phase of the Richards project, have been designated a National Historic Landmark.

Location

33700-3710 Hamilton Walk, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
39.94916, -75.19827

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

University of Pennsylvania Campus Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Drexel Development Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Woodlands, The
Pre Contact
0.3 mi
Pennsylvania Railroad Freight Building
Civil War
0.3 mi
Furness Library
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown Oct 4 1777
1777Revolutionary War
1.2 mi
Battle of Barren Hill
1778Revolutionary War
2.8 mi
Battle of Fort Mifflin
1777Revolutionary War
4.8 mi
Fort Mercer (Battle of Red Bank)
1777Revolutionary War
4.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Alfred Newton Richards Medical Research Laboratories and David Goddard Laboratories Buildings listed on the National Register?

Alfred Newton Richards Medical Research Laboratories and David Goddard Laboratories Buildings was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 16, 2009.

What type of historic resource is Alfred Newton Richards Medical Research Laboratories and David Goddard Laboratories Buildings?

Alfred Newton Richards Medical Research Laboratories and David Goddard Laboratories Buildings is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Alfred Newton Richards Medical Research Laboratories and David Goddard Laboratories Buildings a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Alfred Newton Richards Medical Research Laboratories and David Goddard Laboratories Buildings has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Alfred Newton Richards Medical Research Laboratories and David Goddard Laboratories Buildings?

The period of significance for Alfred Newton Richards Medical Research Laboratories and David Goddard Laboratories Buildings is recorded as the industrial era.

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