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The Wainwright Building in St. Louis, Missouri, designed by Louis Sullivan and built in 1891, is emblematic of his famous maxim "form follows function".. Form follows function is a principle of design associated with late 19th- and early 20th-century architecture and industrial design in general, which states that the appearance and structure of a building or object (architectural form) should ...
Along with Wright and Henry Hobson Richardson, Sullivan is one of "the recognized trinity of American architecture." [ 4 ] The phrase " form follows function " is attributed to him, although the idea was theorised by Viollet le Duc and others, that is, structure and function in architecture should be the sole determinants of form. [ 5 ]
A form is defined by its function ("form follows function"). For building to be "good", it should fulfill the functional requirements imposed by external physical, social, and symbolic needs (for example, a theater should have unobstructed view of the stage from the spectators' seats).
In 1896, Chicago architect Louis Sullivan coined the phrase Form follows function. However, this aphorism does not relate to a contemporary understanding of the term 'function' as utility or the satisfaction of user needs; it was instead based in metaphysics, as the expression of organic essence and could be paraphrased as meaning 'destiny'. [3]
The architectural form is influenced by the building's purpose, so frequently "form follows function". However, in many cases it is impossible to predict that proper spatial allocation for the future function and, in the real world, the buildings are often more durable than the need for their original function.
In the 19th century, Louis Sullivan declared that "form follows function". "Function" began to replace the classical "utility" and was understood to include not only practical but also aesthetic, psychological, and cultural dimensions. The idea of sustainable architecture was introduced in the late 20th century.
The term "organic architecture" was coined by Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959); it was a continuation of the principles of his master, Louis Sullivan, whose slogan "form follows function" became contemporary architecture's watchwords. Wright altered the statement to "form and function are one," citing nature as the clearest illustration of such ...
Sullivan's design for the building was based on his belief that "form follows function". He and Adler divided the building into four zones: 0) The basement containing the mechanical and utility area; 1) The lower levels which were public areas for street-facing shops, public entrances and lobbies; 2) The office floors with identical office ...