SOURCE: "Aesthetics of the Skyscraper: The Views of Sullivan, James and Wright," in American Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 3, Fall, 1957, pp. 316-24.

In the following essay, Buitenhuis examines the development of the skyscraper in relation to the views of American life held by Louis Sullivan, Henry James, and Wright.

When a new form is invented, whether it be in art, literature or architecture, a new aesthetic has to be created so that the form, in its various manifestations, can be evaluated and criticized. Some of the worst and most misguided criticism is always written during the infancy of a new form, but also some of the most original and incisive. The views of Louis Sullivan, Henry James and Frank Lloyd Wright on the typically American innovation of the skyscraper are not only constructive but also show how far men of different generations, backgrounds and temperaments can agree on aesthetic judgments...