Revista ingles

The Chicago School comprises an

intellectually elite group of progressive

architects in late-19th-century Chicago,

Illinois. They introduce the skyscraper,

a new building type for the new 20th

century. This multistory structure

establishes a new design language for

commercial buildings and comes to

dominate the urban landscape. Various

factors in the Untied States facilitate the

expansion of skyscraper construction.

These include phenomenal commercial

and business growth; the development

of huge, national corporations; new

technology such as the elevator and the

typewriter; an inexpensive process for

making steel; and an emerging

American architectural theory.

Influences of the group’s work filter to

other cities.

Following the Civil War, a second

wave of the Industrial Revolution

arises with America at its forefront.

New technology, improvements in

communication and transportation,

and new or improved manufacturing

processes usher in a period of

extraordinary growth in industry and

commerce.

New technologies, many from before

the Civil War, also contribute to this

development. Until the invention of

the passenger elevator in 1857 by

Elisha Graves Otis, buildings are

seldom more than four or five stories

high.

Chicago experiences

phenomenal growth beginning in

the late 1830s. Already known

for its stockyards, the city

becomes an important railroad

hub and manufacturing center in

the 1850s.

Many new buildings are

constructed with wood frames

and castiron columns and

façades. However, these

materials are not fireproof, as

proved by the disastrous fire in

Chicago in 1871 in which wood

buildings are consumed and iron

structures collapse.

Need drives the development of the tall commercial structure, which has no precedent in architecture. Once the technology and construction methods are in place and prototypes appear, the architect’s dilemma becomes how to articulate a multistory building to reflect a human scale. These first manifestations of modern architecture often express the structure on the exterior.

These partnerships are less bound by the European Beaux-Arts tradition. Consequently, their ideas and Chicago School traditions of minimal ornament with little historical precedent run counter to the concepts of design promoted in the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

Early skyscrapers have grid-patterned

façades, large windows

for light, and little ornament. Verticality is

emphasized as façades rise relatively

unhindered by horizontality. Land size

and the need for light in interior spaces

drive overall shape and configuration.

At the street level, shops, architectural

features, and details provide a human

scale. Louis Sullivan uses stringcourses,

projecting cornices, richness of detail and

decoration as a part of the structure.

The office hierarchy drives planning,

finishes, and furniture with executives

having the most space, best treatments,

and nicest furniture

Significant advances in

construction technology affect

the structure, form, and

composition of buildings in

Chicago, New York City, and

other metropolitan areas during

the second half of the 19th

century.

Steel frame construction leads

to the introduction of curtain or

non-load-bearing exterior walls

that hang from the metal

frame. Curtain walls permit

large windows for more light, a

design characteristic exploited

by members of the Chicago

School.

In the late 1880s and early

1890s, architects and engineers

in other cities begin to employ

steel frames extensively, and the

modern skyscraper is born.

Building lots created by a grid

pattern of streets determine the

sizes of skyscrapers.

In 1918, a Chicago architectural

committee proposes that building

heights be limited to 260 feet

above grade and that

architectural standards be

introduced. Consequently,

architects design buildings with

tall, slender towers for space and

height while permitting light and

air to filter to the streets below.

Types. Significant spaces in public buildings include vestibules, elevator lobbies, stair halls offices

, and retail sales areas.

Relationships. Major circulation paths from exterior to interior connect important spaces.

Color. As with the exterior, the primary color palette derives from the architectural materials,

including various shades of wood, brick, marble, granite, metal, and stained glass.

Lighting. Architects design interior plans to take advantage of natural light.

Floors. Common flooring materials include marble, granite, limestone, ceramic tiles, terrazzo,

linoleum, and wood.

Walls. Walls are generally plain, but those in important spaces such as lobbies, stair halls, or

executive offices, may have a marble dado or wainscoting.

Windows and Doors. Windows and doors in important offices may have moldings around them.

Ceilings. Ceilings are high and plainly treated. Many have ceiling-mounted gas or electric light

fixtures.

Later Interpretations. As the 20th century

progresses, interior architectural features of

large commercial buildings repeat the exterior

design with numerous variations in simplicity and

character.

Gástelum Campos Orlando Hazael

Portillo Medina Adrian

Vega López Jesús Miguel

Canizales Benítez José René