The Word of Architecture as Richardson, Sullivan, and Wright Essay

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Introduction: The Way It All Started

The world of architecture has always been full of mystery to the “mere mortals” and the escape from the mundane reality. Changing and shaping in search of the golden mean, the world’s famous architects inherited each other’s technique, some eagerly, others unwillingly and almost subconsciously, to produce the most impressive masterpieces. Although the artworks of each are a unique perfection, the elements of the influence of the previous connoisseurs of architecture can be traced clearly in the major creations. Tracing the changes that occurred in the word of architecture as Richardson, Sullivan and Wright reined, one will be able to see the way one architectural idea shaped, giving birth to another.

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Standing at the Beginning: H. Richardson’s Masterpiece

Can a group of genial architects create the world’s most impressive building? Though the answer seems to be lying on the surface, the question is far trickier than it seems. Each possessing their own idea of beauty and grace, the architects m ay turn into opponents, and what was supposed to become an architectural perfection will play the part of an architectural bone of discord. Nevertheless, the famous Trinity Church was the ultimate proof that the result of cooperation can become a masterpiece.

Tracing the most outstanding features of Richardson’s creation, one must mark that the Church possessed a certain flair of chic and luxury, which made it completely different from the typical Episcopal churches (Zabel 13). Since the tastes of the century shifted the sphere of the most refined and elegant elements, the building was a triumph of the Romanesque style – as O’Gorman explained, “these features resonated with Richardson’s architectural tastes more than the Gothic, which tended to perforate and dematerialize walls” (63). Indeed, looking at the Trinity Church, one can see perfectly well that the building is solid and stable, with not a single element of the Gothic inconstancy. With help of his talent, the architect created the impression of incredible grandeur and solidness, making the Trinity Church as eternal as Rome.

From Richardson to Sullivan: Splendor and Grace

Who would think that the grandeur of the Romanesque style has something to do with the practical and, to be oxymoronic, earthy skyscrapers? Yet there is certain resemblance to the creations of the great architect. In spite if the fact tat the constant rivalry made the tow artists the rivals, there is no doubt that the influence of Richardson did have its effect on Sullivan.

However, as most of the critics agree, there is a considerable gap between the two architects. Taking the most evident features of his counterpart’s style, Sullivan nevertheless displayed negligence to the details that made Richardson’s great, and his creations so magnificent. As O’Gorman marked,

We have noted that Sullivan learned nothing about the articulation of tall skeletal buildings from Richardson, but he did learn about the individual urban scale and solid, quiet form from his Eastern predecessor (107).

Indeed, the scale of the skyscrapers shatters people’s imagination to the core, leaving them astounded and stirred. However, there was the speck of Richardson’s Romanesque brilliance that Sullivan inherited, which becomes evident as one looks at the way in which the architect stressed the magnificence of his creation:

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At street level the building is supported by stout, rounded piers with extensive glass between, so as to dramatize the openness of the ground level and give it a visual continuity with the street scene (Whiffen 257)

With his terracotta sheathing, Sullivan broke fresh ground in the world of architecture (Shand-Tucci 185), yet it must be admitted that he owed much to Richardson. Without the ideas that the latter visualized in his Trinity Church, the first skyscraper might look in quite different way.

Sullivan vs. Wright: The Precious Heritage and the Brand New Ideas

There is a peculiar thing about students: sooner or later, they are bound either to surpass their teachers, or to be forgotten by the rest of the humankind. There is no doubt that Wright, the follower of Sullivan, belonged to the first category. However, his recognizable style possessed certain traits of Sullivan’s manner: the architectural masterpieces created by Wright bore considerable resemblance to the creations of Sullivan.

There is no doubt that the greatest building architected by Wright is the famous Prairie House. Incorporating the elements of Sullivan’s school and at the same time bringing the air of his own ideas into the building, Wright managed to create a completely incredible building. Calling his brainchild “a functional and aesthetic breakthrough” (Drennan 37), the architect did have the point – no one had ever created anything close to his invention. Taking the idea of “spatial freedom” (Moffett 477), Wright made Sullivan’s ideas look quite different under the dressing of his own vision of architecture.

Conclusion: Like a River Floats

Mixing the styles in search for their own niche in the world of art, the three architects tried to acquire the most outstanding features of their predecessor’s style. Choosing the features that they considered the most promising, they incorporated these features with their own vision of art, which helped them to create the most incredible buildings. Richardson, Sullivan and Wright shaped the history of the American architecture, changing its look completely until it turned unique and recognizable. It would be an exaggeration to claim that they shaped the face of the USA, yet one can claim with certainty that the three architects contributed to its splendid makeup.

Works Cited

O’Gorman, James F. The Makers of Trinity Church in the City of Boston. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2004. Print.

O’Gorman, James F. Three American Architects: Richardson, Sullivan and Wright, 1865-1915. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1992. Print.

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Shand-Tucci, Douglas. Built in Boston: City and Suburb, 1800-2000. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 1999. Print.

Whiffen, Marcus, and Frederic Koeper. American Architecture: 1860-1976. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1893. Print.

Zabel, Robert Craig, Susan Scott Munshower and Susan C. Scott. American Public Architecture: European Roots and Native Expressions. University Park, PA: Penn State Press, 1989. Print.

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IvyPanda. 2022. "The Word of Architecture as Richardson, Sullivan, and Wright." April 30, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-word-of-architecture-as-richardson-sullivan-and-wright/.

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