Sullivan, Louis H.

Sullivan, Louis H.

(1856–1924)Leader of the Chicago School of Architecture and a pioneer in skyscraper design. The Auditorium Building, Chicago, IL (1887), was his first major work. It was followed by the Getty Tomb, Chicago, IL (1890); Wainwright Building, St Louis, MO (1890); Schiller Theater Building, Chicago, IL (1892); and the Guaranty Building (illus.), Buffalo, NY (1895), notable for its rich terra-cotta ornamentation and an early use of Art Nouveau interior decoration. The Carson Pirie Scott Department Store (illus.), Chicago, IL (1900), was designed with a horizontal emphasis and demonstrated his interest in organically inspired facade ornament. His many bank buildings include the National Farmer’s Bank (illus.), Owatonna, MN (1908). The Bayard-Condict Building (illus.), Sullivan’s only NYC building (1897), also exhibits a high degree of ornamentation.