Prepared by Dr. Hazem Abu-Orf, 10.03.2009 1

Theories of Architecture(EAPS4202)Lecturer 4

19th Century Architecture (Part 3) Chicago School of Architecture

Dr. Hazem Abu-Orf

University of Palestine

Faculty of Applied Engineering & Urban Planning

Dept. of Architecture, Interior Design & Planning

The Chicago School (1886-1895) One must turn to the USA for the first

large scale development and consistent exploration of the new principles emerged; already presented in Chicago.

The architects of Chicago school laid the foundation of a modern commercial architecture.

In Chicago, there was accordingly the first use of skyscraper construction, the first scientifically planned foundations for high-rise buildings and the first development of aesthetic programs to actually suit the new technique.

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The city of Chicago at the end of 18th century

The Chicago School Historical DevelopmentWhat has made Chicago the forcing ground of a modern urban development & building technologies?

The capital of the Middle West in the USA, the 2nd commercial city after New York;

The city of the great lakes; Key to the new East-West

commercial axis of NY – SF; The great fire of 1871 which left

the ruins of Chicago attracting the architect’s imagination world wide.

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The great fire of Chicago occurring in 1871

Chicago ruins after the city being burned

The Chicago SchoolPrinciplesWilliam Jenney: Buildings are constructed to score the

goals of being cheap and efficient providing the most possible natural day light into the office buildings;

The history witnessed the first skeleton skyscraper construction: the cladding is carried entirely by means of metal structure;

Large horizontal window (known as Chicago window ), with a fixed centre and movable sides that are varied in size within each elevation;

The use of horizontal cornice to hide the actual height of the floors & dividing the floor height into 2;

Example : Home Insurance Building – 1883 (10 stories building + 2 additional in 1890)

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William Jenny

Home Insurance Building

Structural detail of the construction

The Chicago SchoolPrinciplesDaniel Burnham The full use of metal/steel frame and a large

Chicago window (Reliance Building –1890); Elevation elements in the front of the

structural ones; No use of any decoration elements

(Romanesque style) in the façade paving the path for a glass elevation façade later on;

No intentions of hiding the height of the floors in the façade;

Therefore, no use of cornice elements in the elevations: the use of walls as an element to divide windows; and

Floors are repeated and much similar to each others.

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Reliance Building-1890

Daniel Burnham

The Chicago SchoolPrinciplesLouis Sullivan A new conception of form

emerged, with its tendency towards elements developed on the basis of function only;

Form ever follows function and this is basically a law;

Where no action does not change, form does not change, too.

The building should be accordingly planned and designed from inside to outwards.

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Louis Sullivan

Interior of Louis’ house

Views of Louis’ house

The Chicago SchoolPrinciplesLouis Sullivan

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Consideration to the construction is a key and to the functional problems of skyscrapers;

Office buildings form is derived from the functional character as a basis:• 1st – A storey below ground containing plant

of power, heating, and other systems.• 2nd – A ground floor devoted to stores, banks

or other establishment requiring large area, ample spacing or great freedom of access.

• 3rd – A second storey accessible by stairways , usually in large subdivisions , glass openings.

• 4th – Above this, there is an indefinite number of stories for offices. One office is just like the others.

• 5th – At the top, it is placed a storey that is called the “attic”, filled with tanks, pipes, valves, and etc.

Wainwright Building (1890-1991)

The Chicago SchoolPrinciples

Louis Sullivan

The use of ornaments and other decorative elements that are considered as the soul and should be developed in line with the building form;

It has been noticed that the building consists of 3 parts according to the functions: commercial, office and service;

In order to stress the feeling of the height, the vertical organization of the building are much emphasized in the elevation;

Example: Guaranty Building, Buffalo, 1895.

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Decorative elements

Guaranty Building, Buffalo, 1895

The Chicago SchoolPrinciples: Louis Sullivan

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Carson Pirie Schott Department Store of 1899-1904

The Auditorium Building - 1898

The Chicago SchoolPrinciples: Summary

There was a success in terms of making a transition from the masonry bearing wall to the pure steel frame, which assumed the entire carried load bearing functions. The building’s skeleton could be therefore erected very quickly and the remaining components hung on it to be completed: an immense advantage for the design of high-rise buildings on a busy-street development.

Some of the distinguishing features of the Chicago School are the use of steel-frame buildings with masonry cladding allowing large plate-glass window areas and the use of limited amounts of exterior ornament.

Some elements of the neo-classical architecture are actually adopted in the Chicago School skyscrapers. Many of these do indeed contain the three parts of a classical column. The first floor functions as the base, the middle as stories, usually decorated with little ornamental detail acting as the shaft of the column, and the last floor or so represents the capital, with more ornamental details and caped with a cornice.

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The Chicago SchoolPrinciples: Summary

Here is the Chicago window of importance originated in the Chicago School. It is a three part window consisting of a large fixed centre panel flanked by two smaller double-hung sash windows. The arrangement of windows on the façade typically creates a grid pattern, with some projecting out from the façade forming bay windows.

The Chicago window combined the need for light-gathering and the need for natural ventilation; a single central pane that was usually fixed, while the two surrounding panes were operable. These windows were often deployed in bays, known as oriels windows that projected over the street.

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