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Louis Kahn's floating music barge is saved, finds home in Philadelphia

2020-12-07T12:27:00-05:00

The Point Counterpoint II, a boat designed by Louis Kahn for musical conductor and longtime friend Robert Boudreau, will dock permanently in Philadelphia after it was recently saved from the scrapyard. Yo-Yo Ma, the renowned cellist, made a plea in 2017 to save the vessel from destruction that resulted in a ripple of interest to preserve Kahn and Boudreau's creation.

Previously on Archinect: Louis Kahn's floating concert hall, Point Counterpoint II, is facing demolition, and Yo-Yo Ma wants it saved. Point Counterpoint II, Photo by josepha on Flickr

According to Architectural Record, a group including architect Lee Skolnick launched a successful effort late 2019 to salvage the ship. Due to open in 2022, the ship's interior will be refurbished before it serves as "the key musical component" of a new arts and culture hub in development at the abandoned Delaware Power Station in Philadelphia.

Louis Kahn's floating concert hall, Point Counterpoint II, is facing demolition, and Yo-Yo Ma wants it saved

2017-07-13T16:02:00-04:00

Anchoring in large cities and small towns, in busy shipping lanes and at public parks, the barge opens like a clamshell to reveal a glittering concert stage. Audiences on shore delight in the music, much of it specially composed for Maestro Boudreau and his American Wind Symphony Orchestra

Louis Kahn was commissioned to design Point Counterpoint II, a unique floating concert hall, by conductor Robert Austin Boudreau in the mid 1960s. Launched in 1976, the 195-foot structure carried an orchestra up and down America's waterways for five decades. Robert Boudreau and his wife, Kathleen, have recently decided that they cannot keep running the barge. At the conclusion of the Orchestra's 2017 tour, it will be broken down to scrap in a Louisiana shipyard—despite the owner's best efforts to find a new guardian for the unique, mobile cultural institution.

Drawing of Point Counterpoint II, by Louis Kahn

Point Counterpoint II, Photo courtesy of American Wind Symphony Orchestra

Point Counterpoint II, Photo by josepha on Flickr

Point Counterpoint II, Photo courtesy of American Wind Symphony Orchestra

Yo-Yo Ma, a French-born Chinese American cellist, recently wrote about his admiration for Point Counterpoint II, i...

Mysterious Google barge destined for the scrap yard

2014-08-06T14:03:00-04:00

There’s no smooth sailing for at least one of Google’s mysterious barges. Parts of the $4 million boat, located in Portland, Maine, are being sold for scrap, a Google spokesperson has confirmed to Fortune. Google’s three barges sparked a media storm of inquiries when they first appeared in 2013, raising questions about their purpose. Were they floating data centers? A secret lab to design and launch Google’s next stunning project?

Previously:

Google's barge explanation: Bilge?

2013-11-07T15:34:00-05:00

"Google Barge...A floating data center? A wild party boat? A barge housing the last remaining dinosaur? Sadly, none of the above. Although it's still early days and things may change, we're exploring using the barge as an interactive space where people can learn about new technology." Please forgive me, but if you decide to build what looks like quite a substantial structure out on the water, you might have some vague idea of what you're going to do with it.

Previously: San Francisco's bay barge mystery: Floating data center or Google Glass store?

San Francisco's bay barge mystery: Floating data center or Google Glass store?

2013-10-29T15:04:00-04:00

The mystery surrounding a large structure built on a barge docked in San Francisco bay is deepening. Is it a floating Google data center? A floating Google Glass store? Or something else altogether?

Meanwhile, (not-so-secret) construction boom at Google's fellow bay area competitors:

UPDATE: Google's barge explanation: Bilge?