🏛️American Architecture Unit 6 – Early 20th Century American Architecture

Key Architects and Their Influences

• Frank Lloyd Wright pioneered the Prairie School style characterized by horizontal lines, flat roofs, and integration with the natural landscape
  • Designed iconic buildings such as Fallingwater (Pennsylvania) and the Guggenheim Museum (New York City)
• Louis Sullivan, known as the "father of skyscrapers," developed the form follows function principle
  • Designed the Wainwright Building (St. Louis) and the Guaranty Building (Buffalo)
• Julia Morgan, the first woman to be admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, designed over 700 buildings
  • Notable works include Hearst Castle (California) and the YWCA Hostess House (Palo Alto)
• Albert Kahn, known for his industrial architecture, designed factories for major American companies
  • Designed the Ford River Rouge Complex (Dearborn) and the Packard Automotive Plant (Detroit)
• McKim, Mead & White, a prominent architectural firm, designed buildings in the Beaux-Arts style
  • Notable works include the Boston Public Library and the Rhode Island State House
• Daniel Burnham, a key figure in the City Beautiful movement, designed master plans for several major American cities
  • Designed Union Station (Washington, D.C.) and the Flatiron Building (New York City)

Architectural Movements and Styles

• Prairie School style emphasized horizontal lines, flat roofs, and integration with the natural surroundings
  • Influenced by the American Midwest landscape and the Arts and Crafts movement
• Beaux-Arts style, inspired by classical Greek and Roman architecture, featured symmetry, grandiosity, and ornate detailing
  • Prevalent in public buildings, such as libraries, museums, and government offices
• Art Deco style, which emerged in the 1920s, featured geometric shapes, bold colors, and stylized ornamentation
  • Exemplified in skyscrapers such as the Chrysler Building (New York City) and the Empire State Building (New York City)
• Modernism, which rejected historical styles, emphasized simplicity, functionality, and the use of modern materials
  • Influenced by the Bauhaus school and the International Style
• Spanish Colonial Revival style, popular in the American Southwest, featured red tile roofs, stucco walls, and arched openings
  • Exemplified in buildings such as the Santa Barbara County Courthouse (California)
• Tudor Revival style, inspired by English architecture from the 16th century, featured steeply pitched roofs, half-timbering, and decorative brickwork
  • Popular in suburban residential architecture

Technological Advancements

• The development of steel frame construction allowed for taller buildings and more open floor plans
  • Enabled the construction of skyscrapers such as the Home Insurance Building (Chicago) and the Flatiron Building (New York City)
• The invention of the elevator, particularly the safety elevator by Elisha Otis, made tall buildings more practical and accessible
• Advances in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems improved indoor comfort and made large buildings more viable
• The use of reinforced concrete expanded the possibilities for architectural design and construction
  • Allowed for more fluid and sculptural forms, as seen in the works of Frank Lloyd Wright and Eero Saarinen
• Improvements in lighting technology, such as the widespread adoption of electric lighting, transformed the way buildings were designed and used
• The development of prefabrication and mass production techniques streamlined the construction process and made building components more standardized

Social and Economic Context

• The rapid growth of American cities during the early 20th century led to a demand for new types of buildings, such as skyscrapers and apartment complexes
• The rise of the automobile influenced the development of suburban neighborhoods and the design of buildings with parking facilities
• The Great Depression of the 1930s led to a focus on cost-effective and functional design, as exemplified by the works of the Public Works Administration (PWA)
• The post-World War II economic boom fueled a surge in construction, particularly in the suburbs, leading to the development of new housing types, such as the ranch house
• The growth of the middle class and the rise of consumerism influenced the design of commercial buildings, such as department stores and shopping centers
• Social reforms, such as the City Beautiful movement, aimed to improve urban living conditions through the design of parks, civic centers, and public spaces

Iconic Buildings and Landmarks

• The Flatiron Building (New York City), designed by Daniel Burnham, is an early example of a steel-framed skyscraper with a triangular shape
• The Chrysler Building (New York City), designed by William Van Alen, is an Art Deco skyscraper known for its distinctive spire and ornamentation
• Fallingwater (Pennsylvania), designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is a masterpiece of organic architecture that integrates seamlessly with its natural surroundings
• The Guggenheim Museum (New York City), also designed by Wright, features a spiral ramp gallery that revolutionized museum design
• The Empire State Building (New York City), designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, was the tallest building in the world upon its completion in 1931
• The Johnson Wax Headquarters (Racine, Wisconsin), designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, features innovative use of glass tubing and curvilinear forms

Urban Planning and Development

• The City Beautiful movement, influenced by the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, promoted the use of grand boulevards, civic centers, and monumental public buildings
  • Exemplified in the redesign of Washington, D.C. by the McMillan Plan and the development of civic centers in cities like Cleveland and San Francisco
• Zoning laws, first introduced in New York City in 1916, regulated land use, building height, and density
  • Influenced the shape and form of American cities and the distribution of different building types
• The rise of the automobile led to the development of suburban neighborhoods and the growth of highway systems
  • Exemplified by the Levittown developments in New York and Pennsylvania and the Interstate Highway System
• The Garden City movement, inspired by the ideas of Ebenezer Howard, promoted the integration of nature and urban living
  • Influenced the design of planned communities such as Radburn, New Jersey and Baldwin Hills Village, California
• Urban renewal projects, often funded by the federal government, aimed to clear "slums" and redevelop inner-city areas
  • Controversial due to the displacement of low-income communities and the destruction of historic neighborhoods

Materials and Construction Techniques

• Steel frame construction, which used a skeleton of steel beams and columns, allowed for taller buildings and more open floor plans
  • Enabled the development of skyscrapers and the creation of large, unobstructed interior spaces
• Reinforced concrete, which combined the strength of steel with the moldability of concrete, expanded the possibilities for architectural form
  • Used in the creation of thin shell structures, such as the TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport (New York City)
• Curtain wall systems, which used a non-structural outer wall hung on the building's frame, allowed for greater flexibility in facade design
  • Exemplified in the Seagram Building (New York City) and the Lever House (New York City)
• Prefabrication and mass production techniques, such as the use of standardized building components, streamlined the construction process
  • Used in the creation of prefabricated housing, such as the Lustron homes of the post-World War II era
• Advances in glass manufacturing, such as the development of plate glass and glass block, expanded the use of glass in architecture
  • Exemplified in the works of Richard Neutra and Philip Johnson, such as the Lovell Health House (Los Angeles) and the Glass House (New Canaan, Connecticut)

Legacy and Impact on Modern Architecture

• The early 20th century laid the foundation for the development of modern architecture in the United States
  • Established principles such as form follows function, simplicity, and the honest expression of materials
• The work of pioneering architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, and Mies van der Rohe continues to inspire and influence contemporary architects
  • Their designs are studied and celebrated as masterpieces of American architecture
• The skyscraper, which emerged as a distinctly American building type, has become a symbol of urban modernity and a defining feature of city skylines worldwide
• The emphasis on functionality and efficiency in early 20th-century architecture paved the way for the development of sustainable and energy-efficient design
  • Contemporary architects are building upon these principles to create environmentally responsive buildings
• The integration of architecture with the natural environment, as exemplified by the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, has become a key tenet of sustainable design
  • Architects are increasingly seeking to create buildings that harmonize with their surroundings and minimize their ecological impact
• The social and political dimensions of early 20th-century architecture, such as the City Beautiful movement and urban renewal projects, continue to shape discussions about the role of architecture in shaping communities and cities