Many buildings in the world have their own identities. Some are tall, and some are unique in their construction. The name skyscraper, meaning tall multistory building, existed in 1880.
Skyscrapers show various architectural structures and designs because they are made of multiple materials. The home insurance building is widely regarded as the world’s first skyscraper. Historically, the first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building, used steel, iron, and stone.
After 130 years of the first skyscraper, many taller skyscrapers are known for their height and designs. Constructor of Home Insurance Building Jenney’s vision of constructing a building for the long term gave ideas to future generations.
1. Which Building is Widely Regarded as the World’s First Skyscraper
The first building with six stories was built in 1881 by the Wilson brothers and company. This building had a steel frame but only had six floors, so it was not considered a skyscraper. There were some other lower-level buildings in which iron frame architects were used, like the Montauk building in 1882, but they were not fireproof.
The building, widely regarded as the first skyscraper, is a home insurance building located in Chicago at Adams and Lasalle Streets. It was 138 feet tall and constructed by Major William Le Baron Jenney in 1884 with ten stories in the air. Construction was halted, and the building took two years to complete. In 1891, the height of the building was increased to 180 feet by adding two floors.
City officials halted the construction of this building for safety reasons. Jenney’s innovative design frightened them, and the building’s weight was much lighter than that of masonry buildings.
1.1. Home Insurance Building Opened the Door to the Skyline
Home insurance building is the leading example of the era of the construction of new buildings. This building is known as the “father of skyscrapers“ because the first tall building gave the idea of constructing stories using a steel frame that supports the wall and the weight of the building.
The idea behind the construction of steel frames was to protect the structure against great fire. Another characteristic of steel was that it was lighter than bricks and could carry more weight than bricks, which supported the walls. Brick was used on the exterior of these premises.
The home insurance building was built after the Great Chicago Fire in 1885. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 demolished the economy by burning almost three square miles of central city. The first skyscraper improved the city’s economy and gave way to the Skyline.
1.2. Major William Le Baron Jenney’s Architecture of the First Skyscraper
William LeBaron Jenney was appointed by the home insurance company in 1883. This New York-based company needed a tall, fireproof construction for its Chicago headquarters. Jenny designed steel frames of vertical columns and horizontal beams instead of masonry walls.
He used the iron frame to support the external structure. William Le Baron Jenney made a maximum number of small offices with metal frames in a home insurance company. The steel and iron frames supported more windows due to the facade design of the Jenney in the home insurance building.
2. Demolition of Home insurance building
In 1931, the home insurance building was demolished, and in its place, a new building called the LaSalle Bank Building or Field Building was constructed. The field building was constructed by demolishing six buildings, including the home insurance building.
The Chicago school examined the structure of the home insurance building during demolition. The Chicago School laid the architectural structures in the 19th and 20th centuries. Other members of Jenney’s house insurance company, such as Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, and Dankmar Adler, designed the Flatiron building in 1902. This triangular structure was the first steel-frame skyscraper in New York.
Chicago is the birthplace of the world’s first skyscraper, whereas New York is known as the creator of skyscrapers. The world’s first skyscraper does not exist now, but many other skyscrapers of that time are still existing. Most of the early skyscrapers are located in New York and Chicago.
3. William Lebaron Jenney Architecture Skyscrapers
William Lebaron Jenney is known as the father of American skyscrapers. The various American skyscrapers were designed by William Jenney, and Chicago schools are located in different cities and have stood the test of time.
3.1. Ames Building
This building was constructed in 1890 in Massachusetts, USA. The height of this property was 196 feet, and 14 floors. This building was the tallest in America at that time. Ame’s building was the headquarters for the agricultural tools company and architects’ offices. After 2007, these premises were turned into a luxury hotel.
3.2. Manhattan Building
Engineer William Lebaron Jenney designed the Manhattan building, which was 170 feet high and 168 stories tall, in 1891. The main feature of this construction was granite on the lower floor and bricks on the higher levels to reduce the structure’s weight. This establishment was always used as a commercial office space.
3.3. Old Chronicle Building
The old chronicle building was erected in New York City and is now part of the Ritz-Carlton Club. This is the oldest skyscraper in the western part of the United States. The old Chronicle establishment got the owner’s name and was called the De Young building.
3.4. New York Times Building
The New York Times Building is a Romanesque Revival-themed structure built by George B. It was built in 1889 with 13 floors, but later, it was extended to 16. This construction was the residence for many key pillars in the paper business and other industries.
3.5. Wilder Building
Wilder building was built in 1887 – 1888 in the United States for Sam Wilder’s company of banking and land developers. Rochester designed this structure with 11 stories and a spire around all its corners. Wilder building is one of several skyscrapers designed in Romanesque style.
3.6. Rookery Building
The Rookery building was designed for Daniel Burnham and John Wellborn Root in 1888 in Chicago and has 12 stories. The hotel is located in downtown Chicago and has been known for having an elegant office property for centuries.
3.7. Sun Building
Alfred M. Mullet designed the Sun Building; it was a 9-story building. This structure was designed in the years 1885 – 1887. The Sun building remained the tallest in Washington. Mullett’s design was pioneered for this task. Originally titled Sun Buildings, a steel skeleton allowed Mullett to construct seven-storey structures over a 2-storey basement.
Final words
The first historic building in Chicago is known as the first tallest steel frame skyscraper. This tall establishment set the standard for the construction of urban life. Chicago is called the birthplace of skyscrapers due to home insurance buildings and Chicago schools. Chicago Skeleton is the architecture of modern buildings. In the present era, we are observing the 70-80 floors, which have different amenities like passenger elevators, pools, gardens, modern plumbing, and wind bracing.
Space scarcity and land costs are becoming major problems. Buildings can tackle the demands of the increasing population. Architecture and engineers are always exploring new ways to evolve skyscrapers in the future. City planners should design skyscrapers where the basic amenities and services are cheaper, and the design cost is less.
Last Updated on by Sathi
