Presentation on famous American architect Louis Sullivan. Also includes some of his works.

2. father of skyscrapers
father of modernism
One of the recognized trinity of American
architecture
LOUIS HENRY SULLIVAN
Form follows
function
“ ”

3. About….
Born September 3, 1856
Boston,Massachuset
ts,USA.
studied Masatuset institute
of Architecture
Influenced by Henry Hobson
Richardson
Influenced Frank LloydWright
Died April 14,
1924 (aged 67)
Chicago, Illinois,U.S.

4. chronology
1856 born to Irish/Swiss immigrants In Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
1872 Attents Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology (MIT)
1874 leaves for Paris to study further at the Ecole des Beaux Arts
1888 Frank LloydWright joins the Adler/Sullivan firm.
1889 Auditorium Building
1924 Passed away

5. LOUIS HENRY SULLIVAN
192
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187
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187
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189
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6. design
Sullivan's philosophy that "form follows
function" became one of the basic principles
of twentieth century architecture, and was
one of the foundations of Prairie School style
Ornament and structure were integral; their
subtle rhythm sustained a high emotional
tension, yet produced a sense of serenity. But
the building's identity resided in the
ornament.

7. design
He uses simple
GEOMETRIC FORMS
But highly
ORNAMENTAL

8. design
decorated with
ORGANIC
SYMBOLISM
ornamentationbased on

9. design
Sullivan developed a style of ornamentation
reflected nature through symmetrical use of stylized foliage & weaving geometric forms

10. design
MANIPULATION OFTHE ORGANIC
SIMPLE LEAF- FORMS
COMPOUND LEAF- FORMS

11. design

12. design

13. design

14. design
Another signature element of Sullivan's work
is the massive, semi-circular arch.
Sullivan employed such arches throughout his career—in shaping
entrances, in framing windows, or as interior design.

15. design
various
TERRA COTTA
DECOR AT ION i n
d o n e b y L . S u l l i v a n

16. Major works
Public buildings
Auditorium Building,1989
Chicago, illinois

17. Major works
office buildings
Wainwright Building
St. Louis (1890)
Guaranty Building
(formerly Prudential Building)
Buffalo,NY (1894)

18. Major worksBank buildings
National Farmer's Bank ,
Owatonna, Minnesota(1908)
People's Federal Savings and Loan
Association, Sidney, Ohio(1917)
Farmers and Merchants Union Bank,
Columbus, Wisconsin(1919 )
Merchants' NationalBank,
Grinnell, Iowa(1914)

19. Major works
churches
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral
and Rectory,
Chicago (1900–1903)
Pilgrim Baptist Church(1890),
Chicago, Illinois

20. Major works
Martin Ryerson Tomb
1889
Chicago, Illinois
Wainwright Tomb
1892
St. Louis, Missouri
Carrie Eliza Getty Tomb
Chicago, Illinois,
Tombs

21. (PRUDENTIAL BUILDING)

22. Guaranty Building
Buffalo,
State of New York
Year(s) of
construction: 1895-1896
Architects: Louis H.
Sullivan and
DankmarAdler
Function: Office Building
Present name
Prudential
Building
No. of Floors: 13
Height: 46 m

23. plan
1ST FLOOR
in 1897

24. plan
1ST FLOOR
Restored in 1984

25. plan
typical
UPPER FLOORS

26. design
The structure was built entirely of steel
Ornaments :most defining
characteristics
Combines masonry with terra cotta
used strong vertical lines to emphasize their
verticality

27. design
the ornament of the glass windows

28. Guaranty Building
The elaborately decorated
terra cotta cornice

29. Guaranty Building
Ornaments of a
column capital

30. Guaranty Building
A Floral detail
on the wall

31. Guaranty Building
Arch at the entrance

32. Guaranty Building - interior

33. Guaranty Building - interior

35. AUDITORIUM BUILDING
Chicago,
Illinois

36. AUDITORIUM BUILDING

37. AUDITORIUM BUILDING
Year(s) of
construction: 1889
Architects: Sullivan and
DankmarAdler
Function: Auditorium
Style: Late 19th and
Early 20th Century
American Movements
No. of Floors: 13
Height: 46 m

38. AUDITORIUM BUILDING
auditorium was designed so that all seats
would have good views and acoustics
FLOOR PLAN

39. AUDITORIUM BUILDING
Longitudinal section looking south
LONGITUDINAL SECTION

40. AUDITORIUM BUILDING
ELEVATION EAST

41. AUDITORIUM BUILDING
VIEW

42. AUDITORIUM BUILDING
ELEVATION
SOUTH

43. AUDITORIUM BUILDING
The raft foundation distributes the weight of the
massive outer walls over a large area
The theatre, created to hold up to 4,200 audience members, today
can hold 3,877 people during a single performance.
The building was equipped with the first central air conditioning system &
the theater was the first to be entirely lit by incandescent light bulbs
Auditorium interior from balcony, an old photo

44. AUDITORIUM BUILDING

45. AUDITORIUM BUILDING
Ceiling is constructed in such a way that it doesn’t reflect large
amount of incident sound energy; but absorbs
Ceiling detail of the auditorium building
Arcaded façade on the eastern sideCapital detail of a column within the auditorium

47. Grinnell,
State of Iowa, USA
merchAnts’ nAtionAl bAnk

48. Year(s) of
construction: 1914
Architects: Louis Sullivan&
Stewart-
Robison-Laffan
Function: Bank Building
Architectural Late 19th And
Styles Early 20th
Century American
Movements,
Other
Status National Historic
Landmark
merchAnts’ nAtionAl bAnk

49. design
Façade of the bank

50. Structurally the building is a rectangular box
It is one of a series of
small banks designed
by Louis Sullivan
in the Midwest between
1909 and 1919.
All of the banks are built
of brick and for this
structure he employed
various shades of brick
merchAnts’ nAtionAl bAnk

51. built of various shades of brick, ranging
in color from blue-black to golden
brown, giving it an overall reddish
brown appearance
a series of stained glass windows on
the eastern facade
Light is introduced into the interior by
these windows and a sky light
the oversized cartouche that
surrounds a circular window
merchAnts’ nAtionAl bAnk

52. merchAnts’ nAtionAl bAnk
The cornice design

53. merchAnts’ nAtionAl bAnk
design above the ground floor windows

54. merchAnts’ nAtionAl bAnk
The entrance portal and decorative designs

55. merchAnts’ nAtionAl bAnk
oversized cartouche
that surrounds a
circular window

56. merchAnts’ nAtionAl bAnk
Lion griffin beside door
of Merchants' National
Bank

57. merchAnts’ nAtionAl bAnk

58. merchAnts’ nAtionAl bAnk
Circular
window
On the facade
colored glass
skylight on ceiling
glass windows on
the eastern facade

59. "the most sensitive and the most graceful of
Sullivan's tombs" and as "one of Sullivan's
masterpieces."

60. Wainwright Tomb
constructed for
Charlotte Dickson
Wainwright
Location:Bellefontaine Cemetery
4947W. Florissant Ave.
St. Louis, MO, USA
The tomb is a domed cubic
building
with walls of concrete covered
in limestone on the exterior

61. Wainwright Tomb
FLOOR PLAN
PLAN - 1/4 OF
THE CEILING

62. Wainwright Tomb
TRANSVERSE
SECTION
SIDE
ELEVATION

63. Wainwright Tomb
The interior of the tomb has two burial slabs
and a mosaic floor and ceiling

64. Wainwright Tomb
entrance with a
double-leafed
bronze grill

65. Wainwright Tomb
The sides of the tomb each have
windows, also covered in bronze
grills

66. Wainwright Tomb

67. courtesy

68. references
The Illustrated Encyclopedia
of Architects and Architecture.
NewYork: Quatro
Publishing, 1991. ISBN 0-8230-
2539-X. NA40.I45. p149-150.
http://www.hodgsonruss.com/Home/Offices/GuarantyBuilding
http://exhibits.slpl.org/steedman/data/Steedman240089386.asp?thread=240091124
http://www.prairiestyles.com/lsullivan.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Sullivan
http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Auditorium_Building.html
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/sidney/sidney.html