Past and Present in the Geometry of Dhaka Parliament by Louis Kahn

The creation of architectural shapes draws on the repertoire of geometrical forms in a given historical period as well as the architect’s knowledge acquired through studies on how to handle and show these shapes. The present paper analyses in detail some aspects of the use of geometric solids in architecture. A work by Louis I. Kahn was chosen to illustrate this subject: the National Assembly building of Dhaka (Bangladesh, starting 1962) which is also emblematic when compared to other works of the same period, such as the geodesic domes by Richard Buckminster Fuller. By reconstructing a 3D model of the building, it was possible to examine its geometric characteristics and verify its actual connections with antique monuments, such as Castel del Monte (Andria, Italy, 1240), which provided a repertoire of shapes that continued their monumentality even when used in a contemporary work.