Form follows function

‘Form follows function’ is a principle that proposes a building’s purpose should be the starting point for
its design rather than its aesthetics. As an axiom, it is associated with modernist architects in the
early-20th century, and can be termed 'functionalism'.

The phrase (which was actually 'form ever follows function'), was first coined by the
American architect Louis Sullivan who helped develop the first steel skyscrapers in late-19th century
Chicago. This period was a transformative one for architecture, as the
new technologies and construction methods that developed during the Industrial Age meant that old
and established styles could be adapted or replaced.

The principle suggested that, rather than buildings being designed in accordance with past
precedents or stylistic trends, the purpose of the building would determine its form. The axiom
became a touchstone for modernist architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright (who was an apprentice of
Sullivan), who held that ‘form and function are one’, and rendered decorative elements as
‘ornamental’ and ‘superfluous’.

Many high-profile contemporary architects, such as Renzo Piano and Zaha Hadid, and designers of

post-modern, high-tech buildings, have been criticised for their overt focus on form as opposed to
practicality and functionality.

The principle is that the shape of a building or object should be primarily based upon its intended
function or purpose