LOUIS

SULLIVAN
• LOUIS HENRY SULLIVAN (September 3,
1856 April 14, 1924)
-An American architect
-Father of SKYSCRAPERS
-Father of modernism
-One of the recognized trinity of
American architecture
-A mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright
FORM
FOLLOWS
FUNCTION
Sullivan’s famous axiom, “form follows function,” became the
touchstone for many architects. This means that the purpose of
a building should be the starting point for its design. Wright
extended the teachings of his mentor by changing the phrase to
“form and function are one.”
ARCHITECTURAL
STYLE
• He defined the style in architecture that expresses ‘VERTICALITY’ or
high rise buildings. He expressed verticality with exterior columns
and believed that every inch of a tall building should reflect its
TALLNESS. This can be seen in his choice of ornamentation, facacde
and spatial organisation.
• He uses SIMPLE GEOMETRIC FORMS but
highly ornamental.
• Sullivan developed his own style of ornamentation that
reflected nature through symmetric use of stylised foliage and weaving
geometric forms.
- organic symbolism in his ornametation techniques.
• He commonly used terracotta for his ornamentation
works as it is easier to work with due to its
malleability characteristic.
• Another signature element of Sullivan’s work is the
massive, semicircular arch. Sullivan employed these
arches throughout his career – in shaping entrances,
in framing windows, or as interior design.
• He always used custom ironwork railings and
elevator doors since these are high traffic areas.

-The underlying idea behind his philosophy is

“EFFICIENCY”. Efficiency in materials, space planning
and ornamentation provides a way to minimise the
cost of construction and increase the profit margin.
• Sullivan influenced a generation of
architects by designing the modern
skyscraper as an organic whole.
Whatever is beautiful rests on the
foundation of the necessary.
 WAINWRIGHT
BUILDING
• The Wainwright Building, constructed
between 1890 and 1891
• The 10-storyed building is an important
skyscraper of height 45m.
• Steel frame and clad masonry.
• Made his design a “proud and soaring”
unity.
• Style : early modern.
• The three-part composition:
• The first two stories are unornamented
brown sandstone with large, deep
windows.
• The next seven stories are uninterrupted
red brick.
• Between the piers are horizontal panels
decorated with leaf ornamentation.
• The top story is decorated with round
windows and terra cotta leaf scroll
ornaments (inspired by the Notre-Dame de
Reims in France.)
“ THE VERY FIRST HUMAN
EXPRESSION OF A TALL STEEL
OFFICE BUILDING AS ARCHITECTURE
” ---- F L WRIGHT

Interior of building
Upper floor

Ground floor
Guaranty Building
 Louis Sullivan’s Guaranty
Building
⦿ The Guaranty was one of the first steel-supported,
curtain-walled buildings in the world
⦿ Construction Completed: 1896
⦿ Designated a National Historic Landmark: 1975
⦿ The Guaranty Building was Sullivan and Dankmar Adler’s
last collaboration- Adler withdrew from the firm as the
building was under construction.
⦿ The Guaranty Building represents the pinnacle of
Sullivan’s design and marks the beginning of the
uniquely American style of architecture that influenced
the young Frank Lloyd Wright, who worked for Adler and
Sullivan from 1888 to 1893.
 Design
⦿ The structure was built entirely of steel.
⦿ Sullivan wanted a bold architectural style for the new
building type that would express the confidence and
prosperity of the United States at the end of the 19th
century.
⦿ He rejected traditional designs and celebrated the
skyscraper’s verticality.
⦿ He combined masonry with terra cotta for
ornament. The Guaranty Building makes ornament the
focus ,through the use of terra cotta to cover two full
exterior surfaces.
⦿ The piers between the windows form strong vertical
lines that draw the eye upward to the dominant cornice.
These vertical lines emphasize their verticality.
 Design
⦿ His ornamentation for the Guaranty was inspired by
flowers, seedpods, and, at the top of the building, the
spreading branches of a tree.
⦿ Terra cotta was a favorite material of Louis Sullivan, both
for ornament and as a fire retardant. Terra
cotta ornament adorns the piers,spandrels, tympani,
columns, and arches of the Guaranty Building.
⦿ In the original U-shaped building design, the elevators
and the skylight filled the "cutout" section of the U shape,
with offices receiving light from either the outside of the
building or the interior lightwell.
⦿ The structure originally had a “U” shape, with an open
court to the south to provide natural light. The light
court, in the center of the U, was faced in white glazed
tiles to reflect as much light as possible.
Elevation
First floor plan
restored in 1984
⦿ The Guaranty was renamed the Prudential Building in 1898 to
acknowledge refinancing provided by the Prudential Insurance
Company. Both names can be seen above the entrances.
⦿ The 16-story Guaranty (now Prudential) Building in Buffalo by
Adler and Sullivan is similar to the Wainwright building except
that its surface is sheathed in decorative terra-cotta instead of red
brick.
Auditorium Building
 Auditorium Building
⦿ The Auditorium Building in Chicago is one of the best-
known designs of Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler.
⦿ Completed in 1889, the building is located at the
northwest corner of South Michigan Avenue and Congress
Street (now Congress Parkway).
⦿ The building, which when constructed was the largest in
the United States and the tallest in Chicago, was designed
to be a multi-use complex, including offices, a theater and
a hotel.
⦿ Ferdinand Peck, a Chicago businessman, incorporated the
Chicago Auditorium Association in December 1886 to
develop what he wanted to be the world's largest,
grandest, most expensive theater that would rival such
institutions as the Metropolitan Opera House in New York
City.
⦿ The entrance to the auditorium is on the south side beneath
the tall blocky eighteen-story tower. The rest of the
building is a uniform ten stories.
⦿ Sullivan and Adler designed a tall structure with load-
bearing outer walls.
⦿ In the center of the building was a 4,300 seat auditorium,
originally intended primarily for production of Grand
Opera. In keeping with Peck's democratic ideals, the
auditorium was designed so that all seats would have good
views and acoustics.
⦿ One of the most innovative features of the building was its
massive raft foundation.The soil beneath the Auditorium
consists of soft blue clay to a depth of over 100 feet, which
made conventional foundations impossible.
Features

Auditorium Theatre
Grand interiors
Plan
Section
MAJOR WORKS
PUBLIC BUILDINGS
OFFICE BUILDINGS
BANK BUILDINGS
TOMBS
CHURCHES
▶ Though SULLIVAN’S achievements were not appreciated during the last
years of his life, his legacy is still evident. Many of the buildings he built
still exist today allowing people to see Prairie School style and his
philosophy of building "Form Follows Function" continues to this day.
▶ Louis Sullivan was a leader in architecture because his designs inspired
architects during his lifetime to design differently.
▶ Building materials were changing and previous limitations in how buildings
were constructed changed.
▶ Sullivan is considered the "father" of modernism in architecture and of
skyscrapers.
THANK
YOU