The emergence of the skyscraper in the late 19th century fundamentally transformed American architecture. Chicago became the center of innovation after the Great Fire of 1871 created opportunities for large-scale rebuilding, attracting architects such as Louis Sullivan, who coined the phrase “form follows function.”

Sullivan pioneered steel-frame construction, allowing buildings to rise dramatically higher than traditional masonry structures. Early skyscrapers combined structural innovation with decorative detail, establishing a distinctly American architectural form closely associated with urban commerce and technological progress.

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America's changing homes over 250 years