A stainless steel barge that American architect Louis Kahn designed to host orchestral concerts will be scrapped at a Louisiana shipyard, unless it finds a new owner by the end of the month.
Kahn designed the Point Counterpoint II for his friend and conductor Robert Austin Boudreau, and the Pennsylvania-based American Symphony Orchestra, who use the boat to travel America's waterways during the summer months.
However, this year may be its last summer tour, as 90-year-old Boudreau is unable to maintain the vessel's upkeep. Following a long and unsuccessful search for a new owner for the boat, which had its first farewell tour in 1997, plans are now being made for its deconstruction.
Photograph by Flickr user Dan Hatton
Kahn is revered as one the greatest architects of the 20th century. Earlier this month, restoration completed on the worn teak windows of his famous Salk Institute in California. Despite being one of Kahn's lesser-known projects, the boat bears a striking design. Open-air concerts take place on its central stage, which is topped by a hydraulic roof that opens up like a clam for performances and closes for travelling.
Photograph by Flickr user Spablab
Two stainless steel cabins punctured with circular openings flank the central stage, housing space for 13 crew members and staff, and living accommodation for the Boudreau's, and an art gallery below deck.
It also bears historical significance. The vessel was constructed in 1976, the year of the ...