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Louis Henry Sullivan 

Reviewed by Lester Paul Korzilius 
Approximately 220 words 

Published in Oculus, April 1997 

Louis Sullivan (1856-1924), in partnership with Dankmar Adler, was one of the most important architects in American architectural history. In their heyday of the 1880’s and 1890’s they created masterworks such as the Auditorium Building in Chicago, the Wainwright in St. Louis, and the Guaranty in Buffalo. 

This book relies on previously published material, but adds value by offering many period photographs of Sullivan’s important buildings. These include the Auditorium, Wainwright, Guaranty, Chicago Stock Exchange, Schiller Building, Carson Pirie Scott, and the jewel-like Farmers’ National Bank and Merchants’ National Bank. The analysis is satisfactory, but devotees will be better served by earlier books on Sullivan.

Adler and Sullivan’s projects were commercially driven, yet succeeded in integrating function, commerce, architecture and ornament into a cohesive whole. The Auditorium Building, renowned for its ornamental interiors and Richardsonian massing, was the tallest and most expensive building in America. Its complex program included a 4,200 seat theater, a 400 room hotel, and 136 office and retail stores.

Sullivan was the first architect to grasp the essence of a new building type - the commercial office building. Applying organic principles, he saw the essence of these buildings in the expression of their height. The Wainwright and Guaranty buildings are soaring vertical compositions that established the direction of skyscraper design and Sullivan’s reputation as a pioneer.