Louis Henry Sullivan (1856-1924) was an influential American architect known as the "father of skyscrapers" and a pioneer of modern architecture. He believed that architecture should express its purpose and that form should follow function. Some of his notable designs include the Auditorium Building in Chicago, featuring one of the first central air conditioning systems, and a series of banks employing geometric and organic ornamentation reflecting nature. Sullivan's philosophy of form following function became a basic principle of 20th century architecture.

1. Louis Henry Sullivan (1856 -1924)

2. He was an American architect, and has been called the
"father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism".
Born: September 3, 1856, Boston,
Massachusetts, U.S
Died: April 14, 1924(age 67), Chicago,
Illinois, U.S
Education: Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, English High School of Boston
Awards: AIA Gold Medal in 1944

3. CONTRIBUTION TO MODERN ARCHITECTURE
• HE CONTEND ARCHITECTURE WAS FUNDAMENTALLY AN EXPRESSION OF SOCIAL LIFE AND SET
NEW COMMUNITY AESTHETICS IN HIS SET OF EIGHT BANKS.
• HE ULTIMATELY DESIGNED THE MOST DISTINCTIVE TREATMENT FOR TALL BUILDINGS.
• SULLIVAN WAS CONCERNED WITH AESTHETICS OF STRUCTURES AND DEVELOPED A UNIQUE
STYLE OF ORNAMENTATION.
• HIS PROFESSION WAS HIS APPROACH TO DESIGN IN THEIR RECOGNITION OF THE IDEA THAT
FORM MUST FOLLOW FUNCTION.

4. "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."
His Famous Quote:

5. 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.
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
design

6. design
He uses simple GEOMETRIC
FORMS
But highly
ORNAMENTAL

7. design

8. design
SIMPLE LEAF- FORMS
COMPOUND LEAF- FORMS
MANIPULATION OF THE ORGANIC

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

10. 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.

11. design
various
TERRA COTTA
D EC OR ATION i n

12. design
Public buildings
Auditorium Building,1989
Chicago, Illinois
office buildings
Wainwright
Building
St. Louis
(1890)
Guaranty Building
(formerly Prudential Building)
Buffalo,NY (1894)

13. design
Bank 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' National Bank,
Grinnell, Iowa(1914)

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

15. design
Martin Ryerson Tomb
1889
Chicago, Illinois
Wainwright Tomb
1892
St. Louis, Missouri
Carrie Eliza Getty
Tomb
Chicago, Illinois,
Tombs

16. THE AUDITORIUM BUILDING (CHICAGO)

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

18. THE 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 theatre was the first to be entirely lit by incandescent light bulbs
Auditorium interior from balcony, an old photo

19. THE AUDITORIUM BUILDING
Ceiling detail of the auditorium
building
Arcaded façade on the eastern
side
Capital detail of a column
within the auditorium

20. MERCHANTS’ NATIONAL BANK

21. Year(s) of
construction:1914
Architects: Louis Sullivan& Stewart
Function: Bank Building
Status: National Historic Landmark
Merchants’ National Bank

22. Merchants’ National Bank
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

23. Merchants’ National Bank
built of various shades of brick,
ranging in colour 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
Oversized cartouche that
surrounds a circular window

24. Merchants’ National Bank
The cornice design

25. Merchants’ National Bank
design above the ground floor windows

26. Merchants’ National Bank
The entrance portal and decorative designs

27. Merchants’ National Bank
oversized cartouche
that surrounds a circular
window

28. Merchants’ National Bank
Lion griffin beside door of
Merchants' National Bank

29. Merchants’ National Bank

30. Merchants’ National Bank
Circular window
On the facade
colored glass skylight
on ceiling
glass windows on the
eastern facade

31. REFERENCES
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

32. SUBMITTED BY:
SANKET SINGH
SURBHI JAIN
HIMANI JAIN