Following Jonas Salk’s invention of a polio vaccine – and his unwillingness to patent the invention, maximizing its ability to inexpensively eradicate the disease – the scientist was hailed as an international hero, and given 27 acres of La Jolla land to develop a research institute. He partnered with Louis Kahn to design what has been heralded as an inspirational and brilliant architectural project.
Built from molded concrete, teak, and travertine, the six-floor Brutalist buildings house spacious labs with window views for scientists. Due to local building regulations, only four of the six floors are above ground level. Salk insisted that two subterranean levels have light wells to benefit from natural sky and moonlight, so researchers wouldn’t toil or suffer in dark basement labs.
These buildings overlook both Southern California’s coast and a central “River of Life” that runs through the space, creating the illusion of a continuous waterway from ocean to the campus. Twice a year, on the spring and fall equinoxes, the sun sets along the river’s axis. And perhaps not coincidentally, a Dale Chihuly sculpture named “The Sun” hangs in the entry lobby, continuously brightening the space.
The Salk Institute is a working research campus, and due to curious tourists, now heavily secured against intrusion. It can only be visited with advance ticketed reservations on several weekdays, when a docent takes individuals or small groups for informative 1-hour tours.
