Exam 3 ARCH-4173-62517 History and Theory of Skyscraper Design

First Leiter Building

William Le Baron Jenney

Chicago

1879

When was the First Leiter Bldg demolished?

1972

How many stories did the First Leiter Bldg have?

7 stories, originally 5

How did the First Leiter Building by Irving K. Pond reflect the aesthetic principles of the Chicago School?

It featured simple architectural articulation and a straightforward design typical of the Chicago School style

What material is there very little of in the First Leiter bldg?

iron

What elements were brick and which were iron in the First Leiter? What was made from limestone?

Birck piers, brick spandrels, iron mullions, limestone medallions

What material was used for the framing of the First Leiter Bldg?

Combination of iron and wood for framing

Who were the clients for the First Leiter Bldg?

Levi Leiter and he developed retail in Chicago

How can you tell the top 2 stories on the First Leiter Bldg were added later? Why is this important?

their floor to ceiling height and the lack of stone detailing; it anticipates the aesthetic of Chicago school, simplified bare bone structure

Field Building

Graham, Anderson, Probst& White (GAPW)

Chicago

Why was the Field Bldg the last skyscraper in Chicago?

There wasn't enough funding because of the Great Depression

What architectural style does the Field Bldg have?

Art Deco

What does the plaque say on the outside of the Field Bldg?

talks about skeleton framing

How was the Field Bldg built?

in two sections

Whats unique about the Field Bldg site?

on the same site of the Home Insurance Bldg

Home Insurance Building

William Le Baron Jenney

Chicago

1884-1885

was the Home Insurance Bldg demolished? If so, when?

yes in 1931

which bldg do a lot of people consider to be the first skyscraper?

Home Insurance Bldg

what types of beams are used in the Home Insurance Bldg and why is it significant?

first bldg built with steel beams

how many stories does the Home Insurance Bldg have?

9 stories, 10 including the half basement

what was added to the Home Insurance Bldg and where?

2 floors were added to the original row of banded arches

What is the Home Insurance Bldg shaped like and why?

Floor plan looks like the map of Oklahoma and it has that shape because they could not get the land next to it

how is the Home Insurance Bldg heated?

Chimney

explain Efficiency in terms of renting out space in bldgs?

how much of the building you can rent out of what is built

what does the demolition photos of the Home Insurance Bldg show?

how much iron was in the framing of the building

is there iron in the bottom facade of the Home Insurance Bldg? why or why not?

No, load-bearing masonry (brick) walls because iron or steal wasn't strong enough

what did William L.B. Jenney want to have in the structure for the Home Insurance Bldg and why?

add more windows to make the space appealing to more clients, creating more rental opportunities and higher revenue

Monadnock Block (North Half)

Chicago

Burnham and Root

1889-1891

What shape was the site and its dimensions for Monadnock Block? Why was it "perfect"?

rectangular block about 66 feet wide by 200 feet long;

space for a double-loaded corridor plan that has maximum rental space

Which building is characterized by a simple exterior design, no skeleton framing or ornamentation, and a load-bearing structure extending from top to bottom across 17 stories?

Monadnock Block

What is Monadnock Block named after?

a mountain in Vermont

Who were the clients for the Monadnock Block?

The Brooks brothers (Peter and Shepherd)

How many stories does the Monadnock Block have? Whats unique about the first one? What is the material of all?

17 stories; 6-foot-thick brick walls on first story; Load bearing masonry

The clients are known for being ornamental, so why is the Monadnock Block not?

Bet hypothesis, plain brick box hypothesis, Dwight Perkins hypothesis

What do the oriels pose for the Monadnock Block and how many stories do they inhabit?

15-story Oriels, extensions of the building, they get to steal space from the public and charge rent for it

Why were sheer walls added to the Monadnock Block, and which sides were they across?

were added across the short sides to strengthen against wind

Why was the Monadnock Block divided into 2 halves?

for the possibility of selling only half the building

Montauk Block

Burnham and Root

Chicago

1881-1882

Should openings always be even or odd numbers? Supports?

Openings should always be an odd number and the solid supports should always be an even number

What type of foundation did the Montauk Block introduce and why? What foundation did it replace?

Floating raft foundation helps distribute the building's weight more evenly; replaced isolated pier footings

What advantage did the Montauk Block's foundation provide for the basement design?

It allowed more room for vaults and storage by eliminating the need for multiple deep pier footings

Explain the projection (ressaut) in terms of the Montauk Block?

refers to the small step-like projections in the masonry façade that added depth and emphasized the building's vertical structure before the adoption of true steel-skeleton framing

How tall was Montauk Block?

10 stories high or 130 feet

What building was the first that people referred to as a skyscraper?

Montauk Block

What was Roots' sister-in-law's name, and what did she do?

Harriet Monroe; she wrote a biography of Root

What did the biography of Root say about the Montauk Building?

In one of the stories, it describes how no one likes the Montauk building

Rand-McNally Building

Burnham and Root

Chicago

1888-1889

what did the Rand-McNally Building do?

produce maps (sold maps)

Why does the Rand-McNally Building have a blank wall?

it's surrounded by buildings on both sides, leaving one exposed wall blank

what street is Rand-McNally Building on?

La Salle Street

what is on the front and back of Rand-McNally Building? what about the sides?

skeleton-framed and terracotta curtain walls with parti walls on the sides

what happened to the Rand-McNally Building in 1912?

demolished

how tall was Rand-McNally Building and what bldg was it shorter than?

10 stories high or 125 feet, shorter than Rookery

Why is the Rand-McNally Building skeleton frame significant?

It was made entirely of steel, marking the start of the shift from iron to steel in building construction

What was the Rand-McNally Building façade made of and why was it important?

terra cotta and it provided excellent fireproofing and was a lighter/cheaper alternative to stone

Whats unique about the Rand McNally court?

it added two matching cutouts to enlarge its central light court and shared this court with the Insurance Exchange Bldg

What was typical about the Rand McNally Building's office layout?

it had a standard floor plan with double-loaded corridors placed along the parti walls (north & south)

Why did the Rand McNally Building need a cantilevered foundation on the east wall?

The last line of steel columns had to be cantilevered from the first line because the Insurance Building's foundation blocked the placement of the final steel columns

what helped Burnham and Root grow?

The structural developments of Rand McNally Bldg

The Rookery

Burnham and Root

Chicago

1885-1888

Whats the benefits of The Rookery on a corner?

Corner allows more surfaces to have windows for more light

Does the Rookery have a Skeleton frame?

Some elements of iron framing, but not a skeleton frame

What did the Rookery site used to be?

temporary city hall built around a water tank

How are the office spaces orientated in the Rookery and what do they have?

square donut with double-loaded corridors

Whats the difference between the bottom and upper floors?

Bottom floors constructed of stone while Upper floors constructed of brick with stone details

What style is the Rookery? Why?

Richardsonian Romanesque architecture style; Thick arch on the entrance with voussoirs and ornament, not a lot of vertical walls beneath the springing of the arch

Describe the Rookery entrance and its columns.

two-story cast-iron bay windows with stone columns made from granite on each side of the entrance, with the orders being unique because they don't resemble a specific one

Whats special about the Rookery's lobby?

its a two-story atrium

What architect was asked to help with the design of the Rookery, and which parts did they help with?

Frank Lloyd Wright; he designed the light fixtures in the courtyard and was was invited by the owners to renovate the building after it was built

Who did the restoration for the Rookery and what was added?

McClier architects; another glass roof was added to the top to help with water infiltration

What does the interior light court of the Rookery have?

a ton of iron structure with a brick and terracotta curtain wall

Burnham and Root had what saved/restored, and in what building?

Their offices (the library) were saved and restored in the building called The Rookery

Masonic Temple

Burnham and Root

Chicago

1890-1892

What was important about the time when it was being built?

Started while Monadnock was going up

What was the Masonic Temple later called?

Capitol Building

What's on the lower floors of the Masonic Temple?

theatre, restaurant, etc.

Whats on floors 4-10 in the Masonic Temple?

Originally designed as a vertical shopping mall (eventually turned to offices)

Whats unique about every floor under the 11th in the Masonic Temple?

Each floor had a name like a street name

Whats on floors 11-16 in the Masonic Temple? Why?

offices; Elevator service was considered too slow, so those floors were changed to offices

Whats on floors 17-20 in the Masonic Temple?

belonged to the free masons (owners, clients, developers of building)

What design elements are located on the clubrooms of the Masonic Temple?

Oriels and gables

What is on the roof floor of the Masonic Temple?

roof garden observatory

What's special about the roof of the Masonic Temple, and what was it used for?

it was an atrium roof with a hole that went for 21 stories and was used as a roof garden observatory (Glass skylight on top)

What design elements are on the roof of the Masonic Temple?

Iron cladding in the interior court with stone dormer windows that look like witch hats on the roof

What was in the basement of the Masonic Temple?

Restaurant

Who was the client and what did they want to do with the Masonic Temple?

The free masons; wanted a clubhouse in the

downtown area, then rent the rest of the building out to provide income

When and why was the Masonic Temple demolished?

1939; was not successful economically so it lost money

What frame, material, and qualities did the Masonic Temple have?

skeleton frame skyscraper, built of steel; it has several elevators, it is very tall, and meets all the requirements to be a skyscraper

How many, what type, and how were the elevators arranged in the Masonic Temple?

14 elevators, 2 freight elevators, and the elevators were

arranged in a horseshoe form

What store replaced the Masonic Temple after it was demolished?

2 story Walgreens (drug) store replaced it

What building is known by its street and took inspiration from the Masonic Temple? What qualities did it have? Who were the architects?

La Salle Street (190 S. La Salle Street); the first-floor lobby is very large, with direct implementation of the orders; Johnson/Burgee Architects

How is Arthur Rubloff connected to the Masonic Temple?

he was the one who decided to demolish the building and proposed to replace it with the Walgreens

What are the 4 ways to count the height of buildings?

Bottom to architectural top

Bottom to highest occupiable floor

Bottom to height of the roof

Bottom to height of the tip of the building

Describe W.L.B. Jenny

Born 1832, Fairhaven, Massachusetts

Went to school in the USA, then went to France to study engineering at the Ecole Centrale

Joined the army, became Major Jenney

Gifted engineer

Louis Sullivan worked under him

Leroy Buffington Skyscraper Designs of 1888: Patent drawings

Leroy Buffington Skyscraper Designs of 1888: "Cloudscraper" Project, Harvey Ellis Drawing

Daniel H. Burnham

Born into the Swedenborgian Church

Started working for Carter, Drake, and Wight after failing at getting into Harvard and being a cowboy

John Wellborn Root

Worked for architects in England to get out of the Civil War

Ended up working in NYC for James Renwick

Then worked for J.B. Snook

Then Peter Bonnett Wight

Cover Illustration of Scientific American Magazine had what buildings on the front of it?

Church Spire of Trinity Church

Statue of liberty

Dome of U.S. Capitol

World's First Ferris Wheel