Louis Sullivan, born in 1856 in Boston, Massachusetts, was a pioneering American architect known for his modern skyscraper designs. After studying architecture at MIT, he apprenticed with prominent architects Frank Furness in Philadelphia and William Le Baron Jenney in Chicago. Sullivan’s major accomplishment was the development of an aesthetic for the modern skyscraper, recognizing that new steel frame construction technology offered new possibilities for tall buildings. His Wainwright Building in St. Louis is considered one of the first skyscrapers to celebrate its verticality. It features a tripartite design with a distinct base, shaft, capital, and ornamentation, drawing the eye upward. Among Sullivan’s most important works are the Auditorium Building in Chicago, the Wainwright Building in St. Louis, and the Guaranty Building in Buffalo. These buildings showcase his signature style of emphasizing a building’s verticality through a tripartite form and ornamentation. He is also known for integrating stylized organic ornament to accentuate structure and function. Sullivan’s contributions to architecture extended beyond his designs. He advocated for modern American architecture free of historical styles and was known for his principle that “form follows function.” This philosophy guided his skyscraper aesthetics and became a tenet of modernist architecture. His influence was profound, impacting future architects, including his mentee Frank Lloyd Wright, and shaping the formative years of modern American architecture. Sullivan faced controversy during his lifetime for rejecting mainstream architectural fashions in favor of a new modern American architecture. His architectural philosophies directly challenged contemporaries who favored classical and historical styles. In addition to Sullivan, other legendary architects in contemporary history include Bjarke Ingels, Michael Graves, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, each known for their unique contributions to architecture. Sullivan’s teachings and philosophies continue to influence architectural education, demonstrating the importance of embracing structural technologies, challenging conventions, and focusing on the fundamental purpose of a building in design.
Who is Louis Sullivan?
Louis Sullivan was an American architect who pioneered the modern skyscraper design. He was born in 1856 in Boston, Massachusetts. Sullivan studied architecture at MIT before apprenticing with prominent Philadelphia architect Frank Furness. He then worked for William Le Baron Jenney, known for early iron and steel framed buildings, in Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871. In 1879, Sullivan joined Dankmar Adler’s firm, becoming a full partner by 1883. The two designed over 100 buildings in the Chicago area and beyond over their 14-year partnership, including the landmark Chicago Auditorium Building. After the partnership dissolved in 1895, Sullivan continued designing significant buildings like the Carson Pirie Scott department store. His later career focused on small Midwestern banks. Known for the saying “form follows function,” Sullivan advocated for modern American architecture free of historical styles. He died poor and largely forgotten in 1924.
What type of architecture is Louis Sullivan representing?
Louis Sullivan was a prominent Chicago School of Architecture member in the late 19th century. This school embraced new structural technologies like steel framing and large plate glass windows to create modern commercial and civic buildings, particularly early skyscrapers. Sullivan’s design principles focused on expressing these buildings’ function through their exterior form rather than hiding their structure behind historical ornamentation. He pioneered the modern tripartite skyscraper design with distinct base, shaft, and capital sections. Sullivan became famous for integrating stylized organic ornament on his buildings to accentuate their structure and function. His Carson Pirie Scott Building and Guaranty Building in Buffalo display these signature elements. The Chicago School also included architects like Jenney, Burnham, and Holabird & Roche.
What is Louis Sullivan‘s great accomplishment?
Louis Sullivan’s great accomplishment was developing an aesthetic for the modern skyscraper. He was among the first to appreciate that new steel frame construction technology opened up different possibilities for tall buildings. Previous towers tried to mask their height by mimicking historical styles. Sullivan’s Wainwright Building in St. Louis is America’s first skyscraper whose exterior celebrates its verticality. The tripartite design features a distinct base, shaft, and capital, with vertical piers and ornament drawing the eye upward. Sullivan boldly expressed the engineering possibilities of tall steel buildings in his architectural form, paving the way for many later skyscrapers. His principle that “form follows function” became a tenet of modernist architecture.
What is Louis Sullivan‘s most important work?
The most important works of Louis Sullivan are the Auditorium Building in Chicago, which Adler and Sullivan designed. It opened in 1889 as the city’s first multi-use building containing a theater, hotel, and offices. The Wainwright Building in St. Louis, designed by Adler and Sullivan and completed in 1891, is considered one of the first skyscrapers. The Guaranty Building in Buffalo, New York, designed by Adler and Sullivan with a terra cotta facade, was completed in 1896 as an early skyscraper. These iconic buildings exemplified innovations in architecture, engineering, and building technology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
1. Auditorium Building, Chicago
The Auditorium Building in Chicago, Illinois, was designed by the architectural firm of Adler and Sullivan and completed in 1889. It is a massive multi-use civic structure containing a 4,200-seat auditorium theater, a 400-room hotel, and offices. Located on South Michigan Avenue along the Chicago lakefront, the imposing granite and limestone building helped establish Adler and Sullivan’s reputation—the exterior features Romanesque Revival-inspired arches and symmetrical facades. The interior contains some of Sullivan’s most ornate decorative stencilwork and gilded plasterwork. The theater integrates innovations in acoustics and technology, with an inventive raft foundation allowing it to be built on soft soil near the lake. As one of the firm’s early significant projects, the Auditorium Building helped launch Sullivan’s influential career.
2. Wainwright Building, St. Louis
The Wainwright Building in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, designed by Adler and Sullivan and completed in 1891, is considered the United States’ first skyscraper. The 10-story red brick office building utilizes a revolutionary new steel frame structure. Sullivan’s design emphasizes the verticality of the building through the exterior façade, with brick piers separating rows of windows aligned vertically to draw the eye upward. Terra cotta panels with organic ornamentation also contribute to the vertical emphasis. The building is constructed with a tripartite form with a distinct base, shaft, and capital. With its modern aesthetic and functional expression, the Wainwright Building introduced Sullivan’s influential skyscraper principles and became a landmark early skyscraper.
3. Guaranty Building, Buffalo
Guaranty Building, known as the Prudential Building in Buffalo, New York, was completed in 1896 near the end of Sullivan’s partnership with Adler. The steel frame office tower rises 16 stories tall with a façade of terra cotta and brick. Like the Wainwright Building, Sullivan designed the Guaranty Building with a tripartite form to emphasize its verticality. The base contains large arched windows and an entrance, the shaft repeats vertical piers and windows, and the capital consists of round-arched windows below a projecting cornice. The entire facade is adorned with Sullivan’s signature stylized plant-inspired ornamentation executed in terra cotta. The Guaranty Building further refined Sullivan’s aesthetics for early skyscrapers. Its innovative form and intricate details make it one of his most important works.
How did Louis Sullivan contribute to architecture?
Louis Sullivan contributed to architecture by theorizing, designing, and building some of the first modern steel-framed skyscrapers in late 19th century America. His designs were focused on expressing the function and verticality of these new tall buildings. Sullivan’s Wainwright Building in St. Louis from 1890 is considered the first modern skyscraper. The Guaranty Building in Buffalo also displays his signature style with a clear tripartite form. Sullivan believed architectural ornament should derive from nature and accentuate the building’s structure. His intricate organic ornamentation is another signature, for example, on the Carson Pirie Scott department store in Chicago. As a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, Sullivan also contributed philosophies about modern design, which Wright further developed. Sullivan’s methods, writings, and teachings made him incredibly influential in the formative years of modern American architecture.
Louis Sullivan
Did Louis Sullivan change the architecture industry?
Yes, Louis Sullivan changed American architecture through his innovative skyscraper designs. Before Sullivan, skyscrapers used historical ornamentation and forms, essentially just enlarging styles from shorter buildings. This covered up their proper structure. Sullivan was among the first to appreciate that new steel framing technology opened up new architectural possibilities. His “form follows function” principle guided his highly influential skyscraper aesthetic, which focused on expressing the building’s verticality. The 1891 Wainwright Building is considered the first modern skyscraper. Sullivan contributed new theories about modern design as well as built examples. His bold vision inspired future modernist architects and shaped skylines across America.
Was Louis Sullivan ever controversial in any way?
Yes, Louis Sullivan’s architectural visions were quite controversial during his lifetime. Most architects in late 19th century America followed popular classical and historical styles, thought to convey prestige and legitimacy. Sullivan was one of the first to advocate for an entirely new modern American architecture based on function and structure instead of the past. His writings challenged contemporaries like McKim and Mead & White, who practiced more classically inspired Beaux-Arts architecture. The public also favored classically-inspired designs, like those of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. So, while Sullivan pioneered modern skyscraper design, his outlier architectural philosophies were scorned mainly by the establishment during his career. He gained a following among younger architects like Frank Lloyd Wright but remained professionally controversial for rejecting mainstream architectural fashions.
Who are the most famous architects in modern history besides Louis Sullivan?
Besides Louis Sullivan, the most famous architects in modern history are Bjarke Ingels, Michael Graves, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. First, Bjarke Ingels is a contemporary Danish architect who founded the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) architecture firm in 2005. His landmarks include the twisting Vancouver House tower and the Lego-like 8 House in Copenhagen. Ingels’ playful and futuristic designs have made him one of the most famous architects. The upcoming 2 World Trade Center building in New York and Google’s new California headquarters demonstrate Ingels’ inventive modern visions. Second, Michael Graves was one of the most prominent American architects of the late 20th century. Born in 1934 in Indianapolis, Graves established his Princeton, New Jersey architecture practice in 1964. He initially designed contemporary buildings influenced by architects like Le Corbusier. Famous projects include the Portland Public Service Building and the Denver Central Library. Third, Charles Rennie Mackintosh was an influential Scottish architect during the Art Nouveau period in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Born in 1868 in Glasgow, Mackintosh designed the iconic Glasgow School of Art building, among other essential works. Mackintosh is known for his distinctive furniture and interior designs characterized by simplicity of form, subtle grace, and inventive details. A leader of the “Glasgow style” of design along with Herbert MacNair and the artist couple Margaret and Frances Macdonald, Mackintosh made significant contributions to European modernism and decorative arts.
What did Louis Sullivan mostly design?
These are designs Louis Sullivan did:
- Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building, Chicago: This iconic department store building exemplified Sullivan’s design philosophy. Its exterior features a steel frame construction with vast expanses of glass on the first three stories to showcase merchandise. The upper stories are adorned with Sullivan’s trademark ornamental cast iron panels depicting abstracted native Illinois plants and flowers. Inside, the Grand Staircase was another decorative highlight.
- Chicago Stock Exchange Building: The trading room featured Sullivan’s intricate stencil-work and gilded plaster reliefs. A massive skylight topped the space to provide lighting. Large triple-hung windows also brought in light. Sullivan designed custom furnishings like settees and telegraph booths to integrate with the overall design.
- Schlesinger & Mayer Store: Schlesinger & Mayer Store is known today as the Sullivan Center, this was another early retail skyscraper by Sullivan. Its Chicago School-style exterior contrasts with the elaborate cast-iron entrance archway featuring Sullivan’s Art Nouveau-inspired organic motifs.
- National Farmers Bank: National Farmers Bank is considered the first Sullivan “jewel box” bank. Its cube form features ornate glass and gold leaf mosaics. The stained glass dome by George Elmslie illuminates the interior, which also contains symbolic nature motifs.
- Merchants’ National Bank: Merchants’ National Bank is a jewel box bank with a massive stained glass rose window designed by Louis Millet. The interior lobby uses colored light from the windows to create a cathedral-like glow. Piers are decorated with blue and white mosaic tiles.
- Peoples Savings Bank: The Peoples Savings Bank is a limestone banking hall with dramatic skylight and mezzanine galleries. Sullivan used brick, wood, stenciling, and stained glass to create sumptuous ornamental interior spaces, elevating the small bank.
Where did Louis Sullivan study?
Louis Sullivan studied architecture at MIT and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In 1872, at age 16, he enrolled at MIT, which had the first architecture program in the country. However, he left after only one year, preferring more practical experience. Between 1874-75, Sullivan studied at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, known for classical and traditional architectural training. However, he found the school’s approach unsuited to his goals for modern American architecture. Most influential for Sullivan were his apprenticeships in Philadelphia with Frank Furness between MIT and Paris and for William Le Baron Jenney in Chicago after Paris. These architects working in America during rapid change resonated with Sullivan’s design philosophies.
Did Louis Sullivan have any famous teachers or students?
Yes, Louis Sullivan had famous teachers during his architectural training and students who went on to prominence. Sullivan first apprenticed in Philadelphia with architect Frank Furness, known for his boldly inventive designs. In Chicago, Sullivan worked under William Le Baron Jenney, an innovator in early skyscraper construction. Most importantly, the young Frank Lloyd Wright apprenticed for Sullivan for about five years starting in 1887. Wright embraced Sullivan’s modern design philosophies, helping inaugurate the Prairie School movement. Other Sullivan assistants like George Grant Elmslie carried on his aesthetic principles. Sullivan taught directly through his apprenticeships, writings, and built works. His students advanced modern architecture based on the foundation Sullivan established.
How can students learn from Louis Sullivan’s work?
Louis Sullivan’s revolutionary architecture and writing offer several lessons for students today. His embrace of structural technologies demonstrates the possibilities found in engineering innovations. Sullivan’s rejection of historical imitation in favor of pure function shows the power of challenging conventions when warranted. His tripartite skyscraper form illustrates aesthetics directly inspired by a building’s fundamental purpose. Sullivan’s development of distinctly American modern architecture highlights cultural context in design. While Sullivan’s specific results are dated, his creative spirit, willingness to fundamentally rethink norms, and moral focus inspire students. Sullivan teaches that new forms can arise through purpose and structure. Architectural education must include his integral contributions.
