LOUIS HENRY SULLIVAN LIVED FROM 3-9-1856 TO

14-4-1924 HE IS KNOWN AS THE

‘FATHER OF MODERISM’ AND THE ‘FATHER OF SKYSCRAPERS’.

MENTOR TO FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT.

COINED THE PHRASE “FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION”

The building’s identity resided in the ornament

He used simple geometric forms to develop highly ornamental forms.

Sullivan’s writings laid the foundation for a new style of architectural expression, one that was uniquely American. His philosophy of architectural design not only shaped the landscape of Chicago but inspired a generation of young architects to move beyond the boundaries of recycled historical motifs into the emerging industrial and technological society of the twentieth century.

His theories and philosophies in speeches, interviews, essays, letters to editors, and committee reports, many of which have been compiled into a volume called The Public Papers(1988)

His other projects : The Autobiography of an idea (1924) and A system of architectural ornament (1924)

In one of his most famous essays, “The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered” (1896), Sullivan laid out a theory and vocabulary for the emerging form of architecture now known as the skyscraper. The essay established, for the first time, a system of design that not only embraced the new technology of using a steel grid framework for constructing ever taller buildings, but also proposed a design philosophy based on the structure’s function. In the essay, Sullivan wrote his most famous maxim “form ever follows function,” which became the basis of the modernist movement in architecture.

It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, Of all things physical and metaphysical, Of all things human, and all things super-human, Of all true manifestations of the head, Of the heart, of the soul, That the life is recognizable in its expression, That FORM EVER FOLLOWS FUNCTION. This is the law.

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

Louis Sullivan believed that the exterior of a building should reflect its interiors and its interior functions.

The underlying idea behind this philosophy is “efficiency”.

Efficiency in materials, space planning and ornamentation provides a way to minimize the cost of construction and increase the profit margin.

The idea of efficiency suddenly became central to the high rise architecture because of modular construction that greatly supports repetition.

Sullivan’s abilities shined in “optimization” rather than cutter costs.

It is the idea of striking a balance to optimize aesthetics, economics, experience and usability of any architecture.

Ex. he often used beautifully crafted terra cotta tile mouldings on the exterior of the buildings. In this way, he optimized aesthetics of the building without sacrificing the economics since the same tile was repeated in many place. He used ornamentation only where needed, namely in pediments, cornice and common areas in the interior of the buildings. He always used custom ironwork railings and elevator doors since these are high traffic areas. 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, facade and spatial organization

He went into a financial and emotional decline, beset by alcoholism, chronic financial problems and shortage of commissions.

He died in a Chicago hotel room on April 14,1924.

Auditorium Building | 1886-1890 Wainwright Building | 1890-1891 Guaranty Building | 1894-1895 Carson, Pirie, Scott and Co. | 1899-1904 National Farmers' Bank | 1906-1908 Merchant's National Bank | 1913-1914 People's Savings and Loan Association

Bank | 1919 Farmers' and Merchants' Union Bank |

1919

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Sullivan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_follows_function