Ep. 97: Early Skyscrapers

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien explore the early development of skyscrapers in Chicago, beginning with the construction of the Home Insurance Building in 1885. They note that nine early Chicago skyscrapers have been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Site status and examine two in depth: the Monadnock Building and the Auditorium Building. The episode also traces the life of Louis Sullivan, whose tripartite theory shaped skyscraper design for generations. Finally, they examine several early skyscrapers in Sebastien’s hometown of Buffalo, New York (the Guaranty Building, the Ellicott Square Building, and the Dun Building) before debating the extent to which skyscrapers are monuments to capital.

Links:

Skyscraper | Encyclopedia Britannica

Early Chicago Skyscrapers (UNESCO)

The Monadnock’s original Egyptian Revival facade

The Chicago Auditorium, an Architectural Pride

Center for New Deal Studies

The World's Tallest buildings in 1930

It looks like a fairy tale city, perhaps the Emerald City or smth like that [Historical photo of the Chicago Loop]

Artwork:

Guaranty Building, 1895 Church and Pearl Streets, Buffalo (NY, USA). Dankmar Adler et Louis Sullivan, architectes. © Wayne Andrews / Esto

Recorded on 3/2/2026