Louis Sullivan

Real World Example

Louis Sullivan was a pioneering American architect known as the "father of skyscrapers" and a key figure in the development of modernism. During the Gilded Age, he revolutionized architecture by designing tall buildings with steel frames, which allowed cities to grow vertically rather than just spreading out. This was important because it helped accommodate the rapid urbanization and population growth of the time. Sullivan's famous phrase, "form follows function," emphasized that a building's design should reflect its purpose, influencing modern architecture worldwide. Today, his legacy lives on in the towering city skylines we see, such as the Willis Tower in Chicago, which would not exist without the innovations he helped pioneer.