Louis Sullivan is a famous American architect who is considered by many to be the father of the skyscraper. He is also thought of by many to be the father of modernism in architecture. While he did not necessarily invent the concept of the skyscraper, his hard work in building the Chicago empire is influential and has often given him the credit. His innovative design helped to pave the way for many famous architects, and helped to shape the way modern cities look today. Sullivan grew up with his grandmother in Massachusetts, where he enjoyed spending time in Boston and observing the buildings there. He became fascinated with the way the structures looked and were built. As a young man, he studied architecture and went to MIT at the age of sixteen. Later, Louis Sullivan moved to Chicago to help rebuild after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. It was there that he began working with other architects like William LeBaron Jenney, who has often been credited with working on the first great steel structure. Sullivan became so entrenched in this form of architecture that he quickly caught on and made a name for himself, and served as a mentor to another great architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.
Louis Sullivan partnered with a man named Dankmar Adler. Together, they worked side by side to create some of Chicago’s most iconic structures and skyscrapers. This type of architecture during that time was known as the Prairie School of work because of the design of the buildings’ structure. They wanted to create work that followed the philosophy that “form follows function,” meaning that the way something looks should be secondary to its functional capabilities. While many buildings appear to be beautiful, they are often not user-friendly or misuse space. When form is put in the background and function becomes important, a building can be more than just aesthetically pleasing. It becomes a place where people can work and live, and produce. The Sullivan Center was a major project that he worked on with his partner Adler, and was then known as the Carson Pirie Scott and Company building. It is an iconic Chicago landmark and wonderfully exhibits the style that Sullivan, Adler, and Frank Lloyd Wright all contributed to. When Adler left Sullivan’s firm, he continued to work on other buildings including the Bayard Building, the Van Allen Building, and the Krause Music Store, to name a few.
There is no doubt that Louis Sullivan left behind a legacy for the world of architecture and city structures. Many museums and famous architectural schools now display his work, and use it as a template for others to emulate. His style was unique and his talent is unmatched among his peers. Because of his sharp attention to detail and dedication to function, he was able to influence people like Frank Lloyd Wright, who went on to become one of the world’s most beloved and widely recognized architects. His combination of classic and European style made him an icon for the grand banks, churches, and office buildings you see in many large cities today. Sullivan’s work and life have greatly contributed to the wondrous skyscrapers that grace the United States skylines from coast to coast, and his interest and love for fine buildings have given us all a better way to work and live.
For more information about the interesting life and work of Louis Sullivan, please refer to the following websites:
Louis Sullivan’s Jewel Box Bank- The Chicago School of Architecture
- The Carson, Pirie, Scott and Co. Building
- Adler and Sullivan
- Louis Sullivan Architecture Archives and Photos
- Adler And Sullivan Fragments
- Louis Sullivan’s Bradley House
- Architecture: The First Chicago School
- Louis Sullivan’s Guaranty Building
- When Fire Claimed the Wirt Dexter Building
- Tour Adler and Sullivan’s Auditorium Building
- People and Events: Louis Sullivan
- Slideshow: Architecture of Adler and Sullivan
- The Story of Louis Sullivan
- The Louis Sullivan Collection
- Digital Library of Images
- The National Farmer’s Bank by Louis Sullivan
- The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered
- Looking After Louis Sullivan
- Biography of Louis Sullivan
- Images of the Famous Wainwright Building
- The American Skyscraper and Louis Sullivan
- Looking After Louis Sullivan
- The Louis H. Sullivan Collection
- Sullivan Tall Office Buildings
- Sullivan, Wright, Prairie School, and Organic Architecture
- Art Deco and Architecture
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