| ARCH 355 architectural
history iv concepts and forms in north american architecture, 1922-2008 |
| Exhibiting Modernity: The Chicago Tribune, 1922, and the American skyscraper |
| I. The North American Landscape, 1920s-40s: The historical and the avant-garde: |
| i. (Indigenous) American modernism: Cram, Goodhue, A. Kahn |
| Ralph Adams Cram, Bertram Goodhue, & Ferguson, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, NYC, 1908-14 |
| Ralph Adams Cram, Cathedral Church of the New Jerusalem, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, 1913-1917 |
| McKim, Mead & White, Pennsylvania Station, NYC, 1910 (now demolished) |
| Bertram Goodhue, Panama-California Exposition, San Diego, 1915 |
| Bertram Goodhue, Chicago Tribune submission, 1922 |
| Bertram Goodhue, L.A. County Public Library, 1921-26 |
| Bertram Goodhue, Nebraska State Capitol, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1919-1920 |
| Albert Kahn in his office, Detroit, 1940 |
| Albert Kahn, Ford plant, Highland Park, Michigan, 1910 |
| Kahn, Ford Motor Company, Engineering Laboratory, Dearborn, Michigan, 1925 |
| Albert Kahn, Dodge Truck Plant, Detroit, 1937 |
| Kahn, Boiler House, for Chrysler Corporation, Dodge Division, Half-Ton Truck Plant, Warren, Michigan, 1937 |
| ii. Continuity or change: Skyscrapers and the Chicago Tribune Competition, 1922 |
| Hugh Ferriss, The
Metropolis of Tomorrow, 1929 Part 2: Projected Trends. The Lure of the CityÉ |
Hugh Ferriss, The Metropolis of Tomorrow, 1929 Overhead traffic-ways; Pedestrians over wheel-traffic |
Hugh Ferriss, The Metropolis of Tomorrow, 1929 Apartments on bridges |
| Daniel Burnham, The Reliance Building, Chicago, 1895 |
| Adler and Sullivan, Guaranty (Prudential) Building, Buffalo, N.Y., 1896 |
| Slide 24 |
| First home of the Chicago Tribune in 1847 (Lake and LaSalle Streets); then in 1869 to this 4-storey structure at Dearborn and Madison Streets until 1901 |
| La Libre Belgique |
| Each architect who applied for entrance to the competition was supplied with a program, a photo of the site form the southwest, and a blueprint layout of the site |
| Each architect who applied for entrance to the competition was supplied with a program, a photo of the site form the southwest, and a blueprint layout of the site |
| Aerial view of the Tribune Plant and vicinity. Wrigley Building in left foreground |
| Chicago Tribune Tower Competition entries, 1922 |
| Eliel Saarinen |
| Eliel Saarinen, Chicago Tribune Tower competition |
| Bertram G. Goodhue |
| Mathew L. Freeman, Mississippi Agricultural & Mechanical College |
| John M. Lyle, Toronto |
| Hugh G. Jones, Montreal, Honorable mention |
| Adolph Loos, from Nice, France |
| Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer, Weimar, Germany |
| Max Taut, Berlin |
| Bruno Taut, Magdeburg, Germany |
| B. Bijvoet, J. Duiker, Zandvoort, Holland |
| Anonymous |
| Einar Sjostrom and Jarl Eklund, Finland |
| Barry Hammond Dierks, from Paris, France |
| Knud Lšnberg-Holm (Danish), Chicago Tribune Tower competition |
| Holabird & Roche, Michigan Avenue Elevation |
| Howells and Hood Elevations and plan |
| Howells and Hood plaster model |
| Winning entry by Howells and Hood, Chicago Tribune Tower, 1922-25, based on a late Gothic tower, the Tower of Butter of the Cathedral of Rouen, of 1485 |
| John Mead Howells (left) and Raymond M. Hood |
| Tribune exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago |
| The Tribune exhibition |
| My dear Mr. (Holmes) Onderdonk: | |
| It is but fitting that we should write you a word of appreciation in connection with the Exhibition of the competitive drawings for the Chicago Tribune Tower which we had here at the University in this Department last week. . . . It has been of invaluable service to the students of the Department. They literally camped in the Exhibition room and for all that the Exhibition was here just before the Easter vacation, our students certainly made the most of it. The Exhibition attracted a wide interest both of college people and of city folks and the press of the city gave certain publicity to the Exhibition. . . . This is the greatest thing of its kind, without doubt, since Architecture has been a profession and nothing better could have been done for the education of students of Architecture, and the public as well, as has been done in sending this Exhibition through the country. In my opinion it will prove to be an educational factor in a measure similar to what the great expositions have been. We all recall what an impetus was given to the study of Architecture and to architectural development by the WorldÕs Fair. I believe this Exhibition will have a similar effect, in a measure, and I commend you people highly for going to the trouble and expense of sending this Exhibition around the country . . . . | |
| From the editorial page of The Tribune stated, on 3 December, 1922 |
| ÒThere is no precedent for this great contest, which has drawn upon the genius of the old world and the new. The competitive method is adopted in the case of public buildings with increasing frequency, but the new Tribune Building will be the first privately owned edifice the design for which was awarded in a prize competition open to the world. There never has been such a contest and it is very doubtful that there ever will be another. . . . | |
| Thus the competition has achieved in a noteworthy way not only The TribuneÕs purpose to procure for itself the most beautiful and distinctive building, but its secondary object to stimulate architectural genius and bring forth works of beauty. It is hoped all the highly meritorious designs which have failed of receiving prizes will appeal to individuals and corporations intending to build. At least a score are much above the average of the best modern office building and would be a credit to any city or street in the world. It is The TribuneÕs hope that these splendid designs will be realized as many as possible, in Chicago. The designs, collectively speaking, are the most important expression of modern utilitarian architecture ever presented for analysis and comparison. They may be considered an encyclopedia of the architecture of the skyscraper. Genius, exceptional talent, experience, ingenuity, and inspiration have contributed richly and we are confidence its influence will be widespread and lasting. | |
| The greatest architectural contest of history will result not only in achievement of what The Tribune announced as its desire, the most beautiful and distinctive office building in the world, but it will produce many other beautiful buildings. It will give Chicago an architectural gem of the first water and it will add permanently to the resources of the modern architect a mine of new ideas and suggestions. This was the hope of The Tribune and it has been fully realized.Ó | |
| Howells and HoodÕs description of their winning design |
| ÒThe design is before everything else an expression of The Tribune. The structure is carried to its full height as a square on the Michigan Avenue front only, thus always giving the same impression from wherever seen, and showing the same from all points as The Tribune landmark. | |
| We feel that in this design we have produced a unit. It is not a tower or top, placed on a building – it is all one building. | |
| It climbs into the air naturally, carrying up its main structural lines, and binding them together with a high open parapet. Our disposition of the main structural piers on the exterior has been adopted to give the full utilization of the corner light in the offices, and the view up and down the Avenue. | |
| Our desire has been not so much an archaeological expression of any particular style as to express in the exterior the essentially American problem of skyscraper construction, with its continued vertical lines and its inserted horizontals. It is only carrying forward to a final expression what many of us architects have tried already under more or less hampering conditions in various cities. We have wished to make this landmark the study of a beautiful and vigorous form, not of an extraordinary form. . . . | |
| It is perhaps not necessary to call attention to the fact that the upper part of the building has been designed not only for its own outline and composition, but for the possibilities of illumination and reflected lighting at night.Ó | |
| Industrial designer Raymond
LoewyÕs GG-1 and S-1 electric locomotive, 1935, for the Pennsylvania
railroad: Making a machine look purposeful and powerful with a streamline style evoking speed |
| Fellheimer & Wagner, Cincinnati Union Terminal, Ohio, 1933 |
| Henry Hohauser, Colony Hotel, Miami Beach, 1935 |
| Worcester Lunch Car and Carriage Manufacturing Company and view of factory, c.1905 |
| Silk City Diners and Jerry OÕMahony all-stainless steel diners |
| iii. Art Deco Skyscraper |
| Raymond Hood with Godley and Fouilhoux, American Radiator Building, NYC, 1924 (view from Bryant Park) |
| Raymond Hood with John Mead Howells and Fouilhoux, Daily News Building, New York, 1929 |
| Raymond Hood with John Mead Howells and AndrŽ Fouilhoux, Daily News Building, Lobby drawing by Hugh Ferriss (on left) |
| Raymond Hood, Daily News Building, Perspective by Hugh Ferriss |
| Raymond Hood, Daily News Building, View looking east |
| Raymond Hood and Fouilhoux, McGraw-Hill Building, NYC, 1931 (View looking west) |
| Raymond Hood, McGraw-Hill Building top + Front entrance on 42nd Street + executive reception area |
| Raymond Hood and Fouilhoux, McGraw-Hill Building, NYC, 1931 |
| Raymond Hood, Electric Pavilion (tinted photograph), Century of Progress Exposition, Chicago, 1933 |
| Ralph Adams Cram and
Raymond Hood, Bermuda, 1934 HoodÕs first employer, and artistic opposite |
| William Van Alen, Chrysler Building, New York, 1928-30 |
| William Van Alen, Chrysler Building, New York, 1928-30 |
| William Van Alen, Chrysler Building, New York, 1928-30 |
| William Van Alen, Chrysler Building, New York, 1928-30 |
| Chrysler Building |
| Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, Empire State Building, NYC, 1929-31 |
| Reinhard & Hofmeister, with Corbett and Hood, Rockefeller Center, NYC, 1931-40 |
| Reinhard & Hofmeister, with Corbett and Hood, Rockefeller Center, NYC, 1931-40 |
| Reinhard & Hofmeister, with Corbett and Hood, Rockefeller Center, NYC, 1931-40 |
| Rockefeller Center, New
York City, 1930 (Reinhard & Hofmeister; Raymond M. Hood, Godley and Fouilhoux; Corbett and Harrison) View of RCA Building through the Channel Gardens |
| Howe and Lescaze, Philadelphia Saving Fund Society (PSFS), 1929-32 |
| Howe and Lescaze, Philadelphia Saving Fund Society (PSFS), 1929-32 |