Chicago Architecture Style

In this study, the Chicago architectural style is examined.

The design is well-liked not only in Canada but around the world, particularly in the construction of massive skyscrapers and office buildings. The Chicago School Style, often known as the Chicago Architecture Style, was developed by a group of architects who worked in Chicago around the start of the 20th century.

Due to its primary origin, Chicago Architecture Style was the only appropriate name for it.

Around the 1800s, the architecture style was initially used in Chicago, America, and has since spread throughout the world. The architectural style contributed heavily in the design and constructions of the initial towers. The style invested heavily in the suitable material selection, frame, and structural designs, and even introduction of more strong building applications thus facilitating construction of huge buildings (Shannon, 2000-2010).

Key features of the style

The Chicago school of architects introduced and pioneered the promotion of the new technologies of including steel-frame construction especially in the erection of the commercial buildings (Condit, 1993). They also included an advanced a spatial aesthetic which progressively co-evolved and influenced several architectures globally especially in the parallel developments existent in the European Modernism. The building style further changed between the 1940s and 1970s through the incorporation of the new changes in the building structural models, for instance, the introduction of the tube-frame structure. Some of the historically notable architects who were linked to the founding of the building style are

Henry Hobson Richardson, Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan and many other influential architects (Maitland, Hucker & Ricketts, 1992).

The period of time that it was used in Canada/North America

The architectural style has been applied North America from the early 20th century to the present. The building model spread to Canada and even other parts of the world afterward. Other typical features of the architectural approach are the inclusion of the steel-frame structures in combination with appropriate masonry cladding hugely regarded as the terra cotta. The model further allows the colossal plate-glass window region and restricts abundance of the outward ornamentation. The architectural style may also have some constituents of neoclassical architecture especially in the design of the Chicago School skyscrapers construction. Significant numbers of the architectural style buildings or skyscrapers have three notable portions of the classical column (Maitland, Hucker & Ricketts, 1992). The lowest segments play the roles of the base while the middle stories that normally have few ornamental details normally function as the shaft of the column. The upper floors have capped cornice and they usually have multiple ornamental details and symbolize the capital.

Local or regional building examples

Some of the regional buildings erected using architectural style include the Auditorium Building, Sullivan Center, Reliance Building, Gage Group Buildings, Chicago Building and many other buildings. Willis Tower whose construction was completed in 1973 and was one of the early structures built through the use of bundled tube structural approach was tallest in the world until 1998 (Shannon, 2000-2010).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the introduction of the Chicago Architecture Style marked the early critical combination of stainless steel and other forms of steel to improve the strength of architecture. The use of external steel frameworks allowed for the design of powerful and strong buildings without much restrictions from the internal pillars. The innovation of Chicago Architecture Style emerged from the increased use of steel in building as witnessed in the 1800s. The innovations also prompted the establishments of the large plate windows as notable in most buildings built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Architects William LeBaron Jenney who designed Home Insurance Building is credited with the initial use of steel as opposed to the use of cast iron in building frames. The building was finished later in 1885. His design still had some portions of the heavy cladding of bricks and stones.

References

Maitland, L., Hucker, J., & Ricketts, S. (1992). A guide to Canadian architectural styles. Peterborough, Ont: Broadview Press.

Shannon Kyles, (2000-2010) , ontarioarchitecture.com :Welcome to the Ontario Architecture Website http://ontarioarchitecture.com/

Condit, C. W. (1993). The Chicago school of architecture: A history of commercial and public building in the Chicago area, 1875-1925. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.