Print FriendlyArchitecture and Tour Information
The Salk Institute campus represents a unique blend of form and function. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla, California, the campus supports 61 faculty members and a scientific staff of more than 850 doing powerful biological research.
The Salk Campus
Jonas Salk had a distinctive vision for the creation of the Institute. In the early 1960s, he directed the world-renowned architect Louis Kahn to provide spacious, unobstructed laboratory spaces that could be adapted to the ever-changing needs of science. The building materials had to be simple, strong, durable, and as maintenance-free as possible. Salk summarized his aesthetic objectives by telling the architect to "create a facility worthy of a visit by Picasso." Kahn, who was a devoted artist before he became an architect, responded to this challenge.
In 1992, the Salk received a 25-Year Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and is featured in the AIA exhibit Structures of Our Time: 31 Buildings That Changed Modern Life. The Salk Institute has been described in the San Diego Union-Tribune as the single most significant architectural site in San Diego.