Compare and contrast Louis Sullivan’s Wainwright Building with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson’s Seagram Building.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. Louis Sullivan’s Wainwright Building is one of the first skyscrapers and uses an internal steel frame to support the tall height of the structure.
2. While the building breaks with past architectural traditions and styles, its façade features a heavily ornamented band at the top and includes piers that are reminiscent of Greek columns.
3. The Seagram Building is also a skyscraper that uses steel-frame construction, but it achieves a greater height and thus accommodates more office spaces and a large, open public area at the base.
4. Unlike the Wainwright Building, the Seagram Building is austere and decoration-free, but vertical lines on the exterior emphasize the building’s height and provides a strong pattern.