Adler and Sullivan

Adler & Sullivan stands among the most influential American architectural firms of the late nineteenth century, fundamentally shaping the design and trajectory of the modern commercial building. The practice was formalized in 1883 when Louis Sullivan joined Dankmar Adler’s established firm, creating a partnership that rapidly became the epicenter of progressive architectural thought in Chicago. The two principals combined Adler’s engineering acumen and administrative skill with Sullivan’s celebrated genius for form and ornamentation, yielding structures of unmatched quality.

The firm championed the development of an authentic American architectural style, expressed in a decisvely modern format. Architect Ward Miller noted that their work was consistently "at the forefront of building construction," achieving immediate prominence through wide publication. Their unique approach is perhaps best exemplified by major commissions such as the Wainwright Building in St. Louis and, most notably, the spectacular, multi-purpose Auditorium Building in Chicago. Completed in 1889, the Auditorium Building utilized sophisticated engineering to seamlessly integrate hotel, office, and theater functions within a single, complex structure, a feat then considered unequaled.

The fifteen drawings currently housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, dating primarily from 1886 to 1888, provide intimate access to the planning and execution of this landmark project. These studies, which include precise documentation of ornamental plaster work, pilaster details, and plaster arches, confirm the extraordinary dedication to surface quality that defined Sullivan’s contribution to the partnership.

Crucially, Adler & Sullivan pioneered the structural and formal grammar of the tall commercial building. They defined the high-rise as a cohesive entity requiring a definite base, a long, vertical middle section or shaft, and a distinct termination or cornice. This tripartite systematic approach provided the essential architectural vocabulary for the skyscraper, a design principal so effective that its vertical expression remains foundational to contemporary architectural practice. Researchers and enthusiasts exploring this seminal period will find that much of this early design work, including studies related to Adler and Sullivan prints, is now increasingly accessible through public domain archives, allowing for close examination of these museum-quality architectural innovations.