LOUIS SULLIVAN: BIOGRAPHY AND WORKS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Louis Sullivan (1856-1924) was a renowned theorist and architect of American nationality who founded, together with his partner Dankmar Adler, the foundations of what today is called modern architecture. Sullivan was an influential professor within the discipline, even teaching the acclaimed Frank Lloyd Wright.

In 1881 Sullivan decided to partner with his friend Adler, who was already acclaimed and had a reputation for technical knowledge. Then they jointly founded the firm of Adler & Sullivan, with which they developed ambitious projects such as the construction of the Auditorium Building located in Chicago and the Pueblo Opera House in Colorado.

Sullivan is also remembered for his participation in the Chicago School, a pioneer in the introduction of novel techniques and new materials manufactured for the purpose of building skyscrapers and huge commercial buildings. These architectural figures became an emblem of American architecture and design.

Regarding the contributions of Sullivan, in addition to having developed various buildings of great importance together with the Chicago School, his work also stood out for creating small offices and residences, as well as for participating in the development and design of stores and warehouses.

In a special way, Louis is remembered for his theories and plans to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of the city of Chicago, innovative notions that had a direct impact on the daily lives of those who lived in that city.

Chicago soil tends to be muddy in nature, so the architect set about deciphering what would be the correct use for a system of metal structures, focusing particularly hard on the difficulties involved in foundations within a wet soil of this type..

Louis Sullivan was also concerned about the aesthetics of the metal structure located on the outside of the buildings, so he focused on maintaining a unified and organic composition, harmonious with the rest of the design. For this he used scales, ornaments and rhythms that were adapted to the functions of the building.

He was also in charge of developing an architectural language that was adapted to the buildings built to be used as offices. His style can be classified as a kind of ornamental picturesqueness that, in turn, consists of a structural realism. This can be seen in works such as The Borden Block (1880) and the Rothschild Store (1881).

Biography

Louis Henry Sullivan was born on September 3, 1856 in the city of Boston. His parents were emigrants who moved to the United States seeking better living conditions: his father was of Irish origin while his mother came from Switzerland.

Sullivan's youth was spent in the placid Boston countryside with his grandparents. It can be said that the future architect had a quiet childhood framed by close relationships with his relatives.

First studies

Sullivan showed an interest in architecture from an early age. In the first instance, he did some of his early studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which was in Cambridge.

During this time he had the opportunity to attend Frank Furness Hewitt's workshop, located in Philadelphia; this place was a primary source of inspiration for the young architect, and the knowledge he obtained there was later reflected in his work.

Louis Sullivan also received classes from William Le Baron Jenney, an American engineer and architect who was involved in rebuilding the city of Chicago after a serious fire.

Le Baron is also known for being the creator of the first skyscraper known as the Home Insurance Building, which served as inspiration for Sullivan.

Between 1874 and 1876 Louis Sullivan studied and lived in the city of Paris, which was considered the cradle of art at that time. There he attended courses at the École des Beaux Arts (the School of Fine Arts). He was also able to visit other European countries given the proximity of the important cities of the continent.

At that time, Sullivan's proposals were rejected by the conventional academicism that prevailed within the architecture and design of Europe.

However, he was able to learn about the rationalist method of French composition; This knowledge was later applied in his designs from his own perspective and creativity.

Chicago fire

Before 1871, the city of Chicago was in full growth and development, since its strategic location offered Americans and immigrants a large number of sources of work and income. Thanks to this, buildings began to be built quickly, urgently seeking an economic budget.

The most suitable material to build quickly, cheaply and easily is wood, so at that time it was decided to place doors, walls, ceilings, floors and windows of this material.

Even some streets had been paved with wood, in order to quickly facilitate the movement of more than 300,000 inhabitants.

As a consequence, a disastrous fire occurred on October 8, due to which 6 square kilometers of this city were completely destroyed. The fire lasted three days and is considered one of the worst catastrophes in American history.

However, reconstruction plans soon began to be made and important projects were carried out, in which great North American architects and engineers such as Sullivan participated. This initiative corresponds to one of the reasons why Chicago continues to be one of the most important cities in the country.

The beginning of their works and works

Following his travels in Europe, Sullivan settled in Chicago to help rebuild the city.

For this he worked in the studio of Fredrik Baumann, where he dealt with problems concerning the structure of large works, such as bridges and viaducts. In 1879 he began working in Dankmar Adler's cabinet.

Louis Sullivan's ambition and style can be seen in his early works; for example, his Rotschild Building, from 1881, is richly decorated and ornate, and is made from sculpted and cast stone.

In 1886 Sullivan, under his signature with Adler, was commissioned to carry out the construction of an auditorium on Wabash Avenue. The architect placed several rooms for meetings, premises with offices and a hotel.

In 1890 Sullivan decided to study the structure and application of skyscrapers. To put his theory into practice, the author proposed treating the intermediate zone of skyscrapers as a unitary element.

Sullivan wanted to highlight this area between the horizontal divisions of the attic and the basement, so he established the vertical divisions. Thanks to this, verticalism was born.

Personal life and death

Little is known about the personal life of this architect, except that he married Mary Azona Hattabaugh and that he won a Gold Medal from the AIA (American Institute of Architects).

Sullivan died on April 14, 1924 in the city of Chicago, when he was 67 years old. Her remains rest in the Graceland Cemetery, located in the United States.

Plays

Sullivan designed and carried out various buildings, sometimes with the help of his partner and other times in conjunction with other architects.

The most important constructions made by Louis Sullivan are: the Walker Warehouse in Chicago (1852), the Bayard Building in New York (1897), the Carson Building (1899), the Gage Building in Chicago (1898) and the National Bank of Owatonna (1908).

The Carson Building (1899)

It is also called the Sullivan Center in honor of its creator. It is a building for commercial purposes that is located in the economic center of the city of Chicago.

It was designed after the fire in the city and its architectural style is functionalism, which was very dominant during the 19th century.

The Van Allen Building (1913)

This building was designed by Sullivan working in conjunction with John Delbert Van Allen. It is a commercial building located in Clinton, Iowa.

The exterior structure of the building has colorful and elaborate decorations in the ornamentation of its columns, which contrasts markedly with the simplicity and color of the walls and exterior covers.

books

Louis Sullivan not only carried out various architectural works in his native country, but also wrote several books in which he established the different postulates and theories corresponding to the discipline of architecture.

For this reason, some of his essays have detailed drawings of plans and ornaments. Among his most famous books are the following:

-Kindergarten Chats (1901), text in which the author constructed two characters, a teacher and a student, who dialogue and discuss Sullivan's theories of architecture.

-In 1922 he published his most famous text: The autobiography of an idea. There Sullivan narrates in an autobiographical way his search to achieve the architectural ideal. From his perspective, the author explored the sources of the precursor and modern tradition, and established some notions about democracy within the nascent American society.

References

1. Cankaya, (sf) Louis Sullivan: Father of Modern Architecture. Retrieved on November 29, 2018 from Inar Education: inar323.cankaya.edu.tr
2. Kose, S. (2004) Sources of the exoticism in the architecture of Louis Sullivan: The primitive, the oriental, the natural. Retrieved on November 29, 2018 from Edu Cite: citeseerx.ist.psu.edu
3. Lopez, M. (sf) Architecture in the 19th century: Louis Sullivan. Retrieved on November 29, 2018 from Google Books: books.google.co.ve
4. Robert, T. (sf) Beyond Chicago: Louis Sullivan in the American West. Retrieved on November 29, 2018 from University of California Press: phr.ucpress.edu
5. Sullivan, L. (1892) Ornament in Architecture. Retrieved on November 29, 2018 from Academia: academia.edu.