^{Image courtesy Taller Aragonés} 

Mar Adentro Echoes the Brilliance of Louis Kahn’s Salk Institute

As architectural backdrops go, the Pacific coast of North and Central America must be one of the most inspirational. Here, the sun sets over the ocean, turning from yellow to orange and finally to red as it sinks below crystal clear waters. This scene invites the gaze of everyone from Canada to Panama, and for architects designing major buildings along this coastline, this rippling horizon is a natural focus point. It is no wonder, then, that two buildings sharing this remarkable coastal condition also possess a common formal language – and each are stunning in their own ways.