Early 20th Century Chicago

In early 20th century Chicago, the established ideas of functionalism and historicism manifested themselves in the conflicting theories of organicism and classicism. Although there were prominent classical resurgences during the City Beautiful movement and the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, these revivals did not align with what the Prairie and Chicago school had initiated – to conceive a modern, commercial metropolis.1 Because of the automation of the construction industry, these historical movements held back, but were vital, to the progression of Chicago as it highlighted the struggle between the organicist and the classicist. Ultimately, the societal needs of the public and the failure to properly integrate classical buildings gave rise to organicism.
The contrasting ideologies started its clash during the middle of the 19th century, when the rapid development of Chicago and concurrent influx of radical ideas offered an opportunity for new theories and technological advancements to take hold of this clean slate. The aftermath of the industrial revolution attracted certain innovators who migrated to the soon-to-be architectural epicenter. Dubbed the Chicago School, they led the organicist movement which was fed by their radical mindsets, challenging the classical status quo. One such individual was Augustine Deodat Taylor, who developed the …show more content…
Many of them were looking to build with new technologies, and the discovery of fireproof steel frames doubly contributed towards the pursuit of a flowering Chicagoan style.3 Architects were now able to build taller, sleeker structures held together by metal instead of the traditional masonry which exhibited thick walls and a cumbersome monolithic stance. Steel production was in full swing, and soon after the destruction, many newer buildings, unmistakably rejecting the previous eclectic structures, were being