Architect louis sullivan biography
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Louis Henry Sullivan was born in Boston. He studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for one year. After this, he worked as a draughtsman for architects Furness and Hewitt in Philadelphia and for William Le Baron Jenney in Chicago. In July 1874 Sullivan concluded his training at L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris; he returned to Chicago a year later
In 1879, he joined the office of Dankmar Adler (1844-1900), who had emigrated from Germany in 1854 and was established as an architect in Chicago by 1869. In 1883 Sullivan became a full partner. Sullivan was the design partner, while Dankmar Adler was the engineer.
Their first major building, and no doubt the most spectacular in Chicago up to that time, was the Auditorium (1886-90), which was strongly influenced by Henry Hobson Richardson. The auditorium itself is capable of seating more than 4,000. Sullivan's interior decoration is exceedingly interesting, of a feathery vegetable character, derived perhaps par
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Louis Sullivan
Louis Henry Sullivan (1856–1924) was born in Boston and came to Chicago after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 to join in the rebuilding effort. Six months later, Sullivan left for Paris to study architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts, which was the leading school of architecture in the world.
In 1879, Sullivan joined the respected engineer Dankmar Adler (1844–1900), who had been practicing in Chicago since 1866. For fourteen years this relationship produced buildings distinguished bygd both their design and engineering innovations. Sullivan and Adler's work contributed to the development of the uniquely American building type, the skyscraper, and their partnership produced such remarkable structures as the Auditorium Building (1886–1889) in Chicago, the Wainwright Building (1890–1891) in St. Louis, the Chicago lager Exchange (1893–1894, demolished), and the Guaranty Building (1894-1895) in Buffalo, New York. Thei
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As an architect, critic and mentor, Louis H. Sullivan had an impact on architecture that extends well beyond his work in Chicago. From the globally recognized phrase “form ever follows function” to the mentorship of a young Frank Lloyd Wright, Sullivan’s influence set in motion some of the most important ideas in modern architecture.
While working for various firms, Sullivan’s early years were marked by frequent changes to the course of his education. At the age of 16, he began his architectural studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. After only a year, Sullivan left MIT and went to work for the architectural firm of Furness and Hewitt in Philadelphia. Shortly thereafter, the economic panic of 1873 set in, causing work to slow and forcing Sullivan to find employment elsewhere.
Seeking new opportunities, Sullivan made the move to Chicago in 1873. His timing couldn’t have been better. The Great Fire of 1871 had left the city’s central commercial distri