In an unassuming town somewhere on the Minnesota prairies stands one of the most important buildings of the entire United States. The National Farmers’ Bank in Owatonna looks like a masterfully decorated treasure box. The incredibly detailed floral decorations allude to local nature and farmers. The author of this work is the father of skyscrapers, the original American style and the most prominent architect of the turn of the 20th century – Louis Sullivan.
An architectural revolution in Chicago
The career of the young Louis Sullivan began in his native Chicago in the second half of the 19th century. The prevailing styles of the time referred to historic European architecture, and the struggle for America’s own order was just beginning. Monumental, serious edifices paid homage to the Old Continent entirely as if the American Revolution was a mockery. Sullivan hated copying old patterns so much that he decided to create his own style.
The architect is responsible for creating his own Art Nouveau, which delighted in floral motifs and changed American architecture forever. Over time, Sullivan’s revolution began to garner acclaim from the public, and by the 1890s the architect was already a star. In 1893, he even designed the transportation pavilion for the 1893 World Exposition, and his building was one that broke out of the rigour of the Beaux-Arts style, much to the surprise of the exhibition. Around this time, Sullivan also created one of the first skyscrapers, the Guaranty Building in Buffalo, which you can read about HERE.
The rise and fall
Sullivan coined the maxim: ‘form follows function’, which was particularly evident in his later work. The problem was that other architects were not of the same opinion. According to Sullivan, the aforementioned 1893 exhibition set American architecture back decades due to its renewed adoration of heavy European models. Annoyed, the architect began to get into high-profile arguments with his fellow architects, one of which ended his collaboration with his pupil Frank Lloyd Wright. It is worth noting, however, that the eminent architect’s successor was actually fired for accepting commissions on his own account.
A year after the exhibition, the Adler and Sullivan studio had to close due to financial problems. The pioneer of American architecture was knocked off his pedestal, but he did not stop creating new projects. Thanks to a former partner, he managed to secure further commissions, and in the early 20th century he focused on banks in small Midwestern cities.
Treasure box
Although at first glance the National Farmers’ Bank does not look like the pinnacle of American architecture, on closer inspection everything becomes clear. Small local bank owners needed designs that would set their business apart from the wealthier rest. The adventurer and alcoholic Sullivan may not have been the most pleasant contractor, but he was one architect who built such unique edifices. In the case of the National Farmers’ Bank in tiny Owatonna, the bank owner wanted to erect an original building that related to local nature and inhabitants.
In 1908, Owatonna’s town centre gained a national uniqueness. The new bank was like an ornate jewellery box. Hundreds of small floral ornaments carved in terracotta tiles were applied to the cubic brick block. Sullivan spent hours designing leaves, branches and small fruits on the tiles, which then went into mass production. Interestingly, the green decorations were glazed to match the colours of the stained glass windows. Also noticeable are the distinctive arches familiar from Sullivan’s other projects such as the Chicago Stock Exchange building and the Transportation Building. The building is topped by a projecting cornice, and an even lower block was added at the rear.
Greenhouse of architecture
What awaited customers inside exceeded their wildest expectations. The brick that dominated the exterior had to give way to green castings swirling into fanciful shapes. The interior resembles a greenhouse overgrown with lush vegetation. Note the ‘overgrown’ clock and the electric chandeliers ‘growing’ from the ceiling. Each ornament is covered with finer ornaments creating infinite beauty. The large arches covering the windows and paintings add rhythm to the interior and introduce some warm colours. The aforementioned paintings depict farmers, prairies and farm animals to make the bank’s customers feel at home. The Viennese painter Oskar Gross excelled in depicting American landscapes.
However, much of the amazing interior decoration is the work of Sullivan’s former pupil George Grant Elmslie. The constantly drunk Sullivan handed over much of the design to Elmslie. The former pupil was well versed in his master’s style and ideas, ensuring that the building retained its original appearance. Interestingly, Elmslie worked for Sullivan during the same period as Frank Lloyd Wright, making their later prairie style somewhat similar.
US magnum opus
All the characters in this story come together. Master Sullivan, disciples Wright and Elmslie and partner Dankmar Adler are the founders of the unique architecture of the United States. It is also worth adding that Oscar Gross’s famous work is a portrait of Adler, which creates another connection of the story of the bank. The National Farmers’ Bank building in Owatonna is thus the pinnacle of the fathers of American style.
The only pity is for Sullivan himself, who may today be considered one of the three most important architects of the United States, but during his lifetime the architect could not enjoy this honour. He struggled with alcoholism and financial problems to the very end, and in 1924 he died childless in a Chicago hotel. His pupil Frank Lloyd Wright swept the world with his pioneering vision, but Sullivan did not manage to see his most outstanding works such as Fallingwater and Johnson Wax.
Source: PBS
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