Louis Sullivan: Form Follows Function

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Thesis Statement
Form Follows the Function and Space
The Form Follows Function, Sophisticated Tastes, and Site
Interrelation of Function and Form that Follow Population Needs
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The debates over the shape and function of the pieces of architecture date back to the centuries when architecture as science has firstly been created. People usually associate the shape of the building with its function just like Louis Sullivan claimed in his theory ”form follows function”. Moreover, the purpose of this very paper is to distinguish the two characteristics, namely the shape and the function. Also, this paper will investigate the edge and the boundaries of the two prior notions. The actual phrase is taken from the article “The tall office building artistically considered” by Louis Sullivan: It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things super-human, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law. (Sullivan, 1896)

Thesis Statement

It is to be said that the function of the building and its form always go together. It is believed that modern architecture considers the two notions to be interdependent. Some architects like Frank Lloyd Wright believed that the form of the building always follows its function because otherwise, people cannot derive the meaning of what any specific building holds inside. So, the thesis of this paper is that the form and the function cannot exist as two separately taken notions without interrelation.

Form Follows the Function and Space

The contemporary people always associate the form with the essence. To strengthen this argument it has to be mentioned that a person is bound to the actual society he/she lives and has been raised in. Meaning, that you have truly clear and exact notions about specific buildings’ function only if you know for sure what you are going to see inside; besides, this happens only on the condition that you have been in the given building before. One of the most wonderful creations by Louis Sullivan was … dozen-odd theater designs (Lewis, 2001). It is amazing how the architect and his friend Adler managed to use the inside space of a theater in order to handle these buildings’ acoustics–an art that encompasses the shaping of the entire spatial envelope (Lewis, 2001). I tend to think that people would merely be confused without having previous experience of going to this kind of theatre, however in this case the impression exceeds expectations, namely, the form surely follows functions. Hence, a person is able to connect the shape and the function of any specific architectural piece. A contemporary person surely has associations with this or that form of the building for we are raised in a society of strict rules where the form follows the function.

The Form Follows Function, Sophisticated Tastes, and Site

However, another thing that has to be investigated is that the functions of the specific modern buildings are countless though they do have to be necessarily dependent on the form. For example, the temperature and humidity are impacted by the form of the architecture piece. Since we live in the twenty-first century, it is possible to rely on blowers, coolers, and air conditioning. This means that the form of the building and the number of windows directly depend on the climate and the site the building is situated at. The reason for that is the form necessarily follows function because we have to protect natural resources. Besides, when the power goes off it is very important to use daylight wisely. This is why the form follows the function in contemporary architecture. Moreover, it is a must nowadays to take into consideration the orientation of the erection since the human needs are sometimes not satisfied with the innovative technologies. Namely, we can simply turn on the light without struggling to peer into the darkness only when we have power. The same thing is with turning on/off the heating and getting warm right away. That is why Louis Sullivan, whose theory is being followed throughout architecture these days, used to gain the highest appraisals from different people as well as from his teacher William Ware: “…if I had arrived at something similar to what Mr. Adler and Mr. Sullivan have created, I think I would have considered it…the most inspired achievement of my life” (Boudreaux, 1993).

Interrelation of Function and Form that Follow Population Needs

The last point is that the statement “form follows function” dates back to 1918 when Louis Sullivan wrote: … one should be able with a little attention, to read through that building to the reason for that building. Fortunately, the contemporary buildings situated in the United States do resemble that idea. Different people were shown different pictures of museums, churches, city halls, and libraries. They were asked to tell one from another by simply identifying the function of the building by its form. The survey was made in order to show the practical application of Sullivan’s theory. Therefore it is another vivid example of form and function notions to follow each other. What is interesting, it starts to be a tendency throughout the new era of innovative technologies. Namely, a good example is the skyscrapers that definitely reflect the need of the American population to live downtown and have separate apartments. The skyscrapers’ form reminds the democratic society, etc. However, Abbot claims in his article “Louis Sullivan, Architectural Modernism, and the Creation of Democratic Space” that …what was intended as a democratic spatial arrangement, then, could become in reality an architecture that not only confirmed but sustained the barriers between individuals. (Abbot, 2000)

Conclusion

The history of architecture had gone through many changes throughout the centuries. There were many theories that people used to stick to in order to erect buildings that now speak for certain historical periods. The theory of form that follows function is a perfect implementation of the nation’s needs. Moreover, modern architecture still sticks to the point of the prominent architect Louis Sullivan that “form ever follows function”. Therefore, I have to admit that the form does follow the function as well as it represents the building’s content by just looking at it from outside. As it is seen from the presented examples, the function goes closely along with the form of the structures of contemporary buildings. Forms follow the function together with money funds and the clients’ taste because this is a guarantee of the successful building project. I am glad to realize that Mr. Sullivan was one of the greatest figures to have a powerful impact on American architecture and its history.

References

Abbot, J. R. (2000). Louis Sullivan, Architectural Modernism, and the Creation of Democratic Space. Web.

Boudreaux, G. (1993). Louis Sullivan: The Growth of an Idea. From the Auditorium to the Bank. Web.

Lewis, M. J. (2001).Louis Sullivan after functionalism. New Criterion. Web.

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