Louis H Sullivan

Louis Henry Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an american architect largely active during the industrial revolution. He is often considered the father of skyscrapers and the father of modernism. His art style was largely influenced by the industrial revolution and by Michelangelo’s belief in the spirit of creation. He coined the term “form ever follows function” which became the term form follows function. It is the belief that the form of a building must follow the original intent of the creator.

Louis sullivan’s philosophy on form follows function has influenced a large number of architects such as Frank lloyd wright whom he mentored, Erich mendelson, Louis kahn and others. Louis was also had a very strong belief in modernism. He believed that more progressive ways must be taken in the process of making buildings. He strongly supported intuitive and creative ways for the construction of buildings. But added ornate designs to his buildings.

Louis was born in boston. His parents both immigrants moved the family to chicago in 1872. His parents moved again but he decided to remain behind to study at the massachusetts institute of technology at the age of sixteen. He studied for a year before taking getting a job. He worked for a sometime but was then was fired due to economic woe. He eventually went to france and studied their. He eventually came back to america and worked as a theater architect before he started to make steel framed buildings. He focused on office buildings and banks. But his success would end when another economic crises in 1893 caused his career to decline. He eventually died poor and alone. Many of his buildings were demolished. He is similar to johann sebastia...

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...ew heights such as the eiffel tower. Elevators carried people to the top of buildings faster and bypassed those troublesome stairs. More powerful pumps for plumbing brought water to the top floors of tall buildings. All these factors led to the creation of skyscrapers and the expansion of cities. The main attitude of industrialism was that people no longer needed to live all their life on the farm they could travel to the city and make a fortune their. While this is not completely true the large increase in workers allowed more buildings to be built. Mass production of higher quality of glass allowed the buildings to be completed and not need to be fixed more often. All these things from the industrial revolution caused one the greatest changes in architecture in history.

Works Cited

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/chicago/peopleevents/p_sullivan.html