A System of Architectural Ornament
Facsimile Edition and Reader's Guide
Will be published approx. on 9. November 2026
Book
Hardback
80 pages
978-0-226-85054-2 (ISBN)
Description
The first full-scale facsimile of Louis H. Sullivan's landmark publication, featuring his stunning illustrations, accompanied by a reader's guide.
Widely credited as the father of the skyscraper, Louis H. Sullivan (1856-1924) remains a key figure in architectural history. Celebrating his legacy, this is the first full-scale facsimile of Sullivan's landmark work, A System of Architectural Ornament According with a Philosophy of Man's Powers. Commissioned by the Art Institute of Chicago and published by the American Institute of Architects in the year of Sullivan's death, the book presents his highly influential ideas about the role of ornament in architecture.
Exploring the relationship between the organic and inorganic in Sullivan's approach to decoration, System includes the architect's intricate, hand-drawn illustrations of geometric patterns and examples of his trademark organic forms. The oversized format allows readers to appreciate the fine details of Sullivan's labyrinthine designs.
This edition presents a faithful facsimile of the original 1924 volume, accompanied by an illustrated reader's guide featuring an essay by Art Institute of Chicago architecture and design curator Alison Fisher, who contextualizes the book's contemporary reception and the continued relevance of Sullivan's theory of architectural ornament. Shedding new light on Sullivan's final work, this will be essential for lovers of architecture and of its unique history in Chicago.
This edition is published in association with Designers & Books.
Widely credited as the father of the skyscraper, Louis H. Sullivan (1856-1924) remains a key figure in architectural history. Celebrating his legacy, this is the first full-scale facsimile of Sullivan's landmark work, A System of Architectural Ornament According with a Philosophy of Man's Powers. Commissioned by the Art Institute of Chicago and published by the American Institute of Architects in the year of Sullivan's death, the book presents his highly influential ideas about the role of ornament in architecture.
Exploring the relationship between the organic and inorganic in Sullivan's approach to decoration, System includes the architect's intricate, hand-drawn illustrations of geometric patterns and examples of his trademark organic forms. The oversized format allows readers to appreciate the fine details of Sullivan's labyrinthine designs.
This edition presents a faithful facsimile of the original 1924 volume, accompanied by an illustrated reader's guide featuring an essay by Art Institute of Chicago architecture and design curator Alison Fisher, who contextualizes the book's contemporary reception and the continued relevance of Sullivan's theory of architectural ornament. Shedding new light on Sullivan's final work, this will be essential for lovers of architecture and of its unique history in Chicago.
This edition is published in association with Designers & Books.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Chicago
United States
Publishing group
The University of Chicago Press
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
33 color plates, 19 halftones
Dimensions
Height: 508 mm
Width: 356 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-226-85054-2 (9780226850542)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Louis H. Sullivan (1856-1924) was a crucial figure of the Chicago School of architecture. Known for his major projects with Dankmar Adler-including the Wainwright Building in St. Louis and the Auditorium Building in Chicago-and for his distinctive organic ornamentation, Sullivan helped to establish Chicago's architectural reputation and was a key influence on the later generation of modernist architects. Alison Fisher is the Harold and Margot Schiff Curator of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago. She specializes in alternative histories of modern architecture, design, and urbanism and has curated many exhibitions in these areas, including Bertrand Goldberg: Architecture of Invention; The City Lost and Found: Capturing New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, 1960-1980; and Bauhaus Chicago: Design in the City; and Bruce Goff: Material Worlds.