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Wainwright Building - by Louis H. Sullivan

Wainwright Building.jpg

Regarded by many as Louis Sullivan“s masterpiece, this building revolutionized American architecture and marked the beginning of modern skyscraper design.

Architect:
Louis H. Sullivan

Year:
1892

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Contributed by:
georgiagamer

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Open to public, but no tours are available on-site

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The building is part of a state office complex.

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Building Info

Description and Notes

Architects had struggled to find the best way to design the emerging skyscrapers for a while before Sullivan built the Wainwright. He approached the problem by designing the building like a column. The lower two floors form the base, following floors shaped a long shaft, and the cornice is the capital. The amount and wealth of all the decoration is so personal that it would be called Sullivanesque.

The Wainwright Building is important as Sullivan walked away from the European and historic styles and used an original idea to give visual unity to the modern skyscraper.

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By Louis H. Sullivan     In St. Louis                

Address

705 Chestnut Street
St. Louis
United States


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