Kaden Tower facts for kids
The Kaden Tower is a unique 15-story office building located in Louisville, Kentucky. It opened in 1966 and was first called Lincoln Tower. The building was designed by a student of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
What makes Kaden Tower special is its "cantilevered" design. This means parts of the building stick out like a shelf, supported only at one end. It also has a beautiful "lacework facade," which is like a decorative screen on the outside. Next to the tower is a smaller, one-story building with the same cool style. This smaller building is now used by a TV station.
Contents
How Kaden Tower Was Designed
The Kaden Tower and its smaller neighbor are often thought to be designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself. However, they were actually created by his talented student and son-in-law, William Wesley Peters. Wright's wife, Olgivanna Lloyd Wright, also helped inspire the design. Peters took over Wright's architecture firm, Taliesin Associated Architects, after Wright passed away in 1959.
Inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright
William Wesley Peters worked with Frank Lloyd Wright for over 20 years. He used many of Wright's ideas for the Kaden Tower. One idea came from Wright's plans for a store in Ahmedabad, India, in 1946. This plan included a special screen, or "grillwork," over the windows. This grillwork was like the traditional "jali" screens used in Mughal architecture.
The grillwork had two main jobs:
- It helped keep the inside of the building cooler by blocking some sunlight.
- It still allowed people inside to see out.
Even though Louisville's weather is different from India's, the screen on Kaden Tower still helps block the sun.
Peters also got ideas from another of Wright's plans, the 40-story Rogers Lacy Hotel. This tall, modern skyscraper was planned for Dallas, Texas, in 1946 but was never built.
The Price Tower Connection
The biggest inspiration for Kaden Tower was the H.C. Price Company Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. This building, finished in 1956, is one of only two tall buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that were actually built. Peters worked with Wright on the Price Tower.
Because of this, Kaden Tower and Price Tower share many features:
- They both have a unique cantilever design. This design allows for open spaces inside without many support columns.
- Both buildings are on large, landscaped areas.
- They have smaller buildings next to them that match their style.
- They are decorated in soft, earthy colors.
- Their windows are somewhat hidden.
Unique Features and Lighting
At night, when the lights are on inside, Kaden Tower looks like a glowing Japanese lantern. In the 1970s and early 1980s, during December, colored plastic sheets were placed on the windows. When the office lights were on, these sheets created large holiday symbols.
Other cool parts of the building include:
- Stained glass windows inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright.
- A glass elevator system on the outside of the building.
- A low dome that holds the building's air conditioning.
- A reflecting pool and fountain outside.
Kaden Tower's History and Use
In 2018, a company called In-Rel Properties bought the Kaden Tower. Before that, Kaden Companies Partnership owned it since 1986. Kaden Companies changed the building's name from Lincoln Income Life Insurance Tower to Kaden Tower.
After buying the tower, Kaden Companies spent $2 million to update it. This renovation, finished in 1987, made the offices modern and improved the meeting hall. In 2003, air conditioning was added to the special outside elevator.
Today, a restaurant called Ruth's Chris Steak House is on the top floor. The floors below are all office spaces. For over 40 years, the Kaden Tower has stood tall, about 200 feet (61 m) high. People have had many different opinions about it, from loving it to not liking it. A sign on the building calls it both "controversial" and "a jewel."
