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Carol Willis
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Form Follows Finance: Skyscrapers and Skylines in New York and Chicago Paperback – Bargain Price, November 1, 1995

by Carol Willis (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 14 ratings
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Although fundamental factors of program, technology, and economics make tall buildings everywhere take similar forms, skyscrapers in New York and Chicago developed very differently in the first half of the twentieth century. In contrast to standard histories that counterpose the design philosophies of the Chicago and New York "schools," Willis shows how market formulas produced characteristic forms in each city"vernaculars of capitalism"that resulted from local land-use patterns, municipal codes, and zoning. Refuting some common clichs of skyscraper history such as the equation of big buildings with big business and the idea of a "corporate skyline," Willis emphasizes the importance of speculative development and the impact of real-estate cycles on the forms of buildings and on their spatial distribution.

Form Follows Finance cautions that the city must be understood as a complex commercial environment where buildings are themselves businesses, space is a commodity, and location and image have value.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Princeton Architectural Press
  4. Publication date
    November 1, 1995
  5. Dimensions
    5.63 x 0.63 x 9.13 inches
  6. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The central theme of this well researched history of architecture, urban planning, and real estate is that in the design of office buildings, form, space, and money are all intricately bound up with one another. This convincing hypothesis is presented in the form of a comprehensive and comparative look at the skylines of two major turn-of-the-century cities, which are also two of the most illustrious American metropolises: Chicago and New York. What differentiates this book from other histories of the skyscraper is its emphasis on economics as the chief factor in the determination of form, as well as on municipal codes, land-use patterns, and zoning. It is also an urban history and an agile investigation into the forces that shaped the tallest buildings in America. It is fascinating to learn, for instance, how new formal solutions for office buildings emerged, exactly how the height of the Empire State Building was determined, and how economics contributed to the vast majority of these and other design decisions.

Review

Seldom does a title summarize so tersely and completely the contents of a book as does that of Carol Willis's brisk, lucid investigation into the foreces that shaped the prodigious tall buildings of America's two major turn-of-the-century metropolises. Martin Filler, New York Times Book Review

A fascinating document for banker, developer, and architect alike. Matthew Barnett Howland, World Architecture

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008SM3WWA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Princeton Architectural Press (November 1, 1995)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.63 x 0.63 x 9.13 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 14 ratings

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Carol Willis

Carol Willis

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
14 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

BrosnanNotBond
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!! Very well researched and answered questions I ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2015
Verified Purchase
Excellent!! Very well researched and answered questions I had about the form and finance of early skyscrapers in New York.
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Sara Emanuel
3.0 out of 5 stars nice premise, easy to read and understand
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2014
Verified Purchase
its okay. nice premise, easy to read and understand. a bit lengthy for the point being shown, which is saying a lot as its quite short.
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Jeffrey Golds
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2005
Perhaps a little to dry for someone not totally engaged in the subject matter, but overall this book is extremely interesting and full of helpfull information to anyone interested in urban design, the cities of New York or Chicago, or architecture.
5 people found this helpful
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Charles C. Almonte
4.0 out of 5 stars In Contrast: Chicago and New York
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2000
This book is great and well written...This book gives a comprehensive look at the developement of the skyscraper between the two major cities that shaped the world of high-rise architecture. Each chapter provides a detailed look of the different factors and events that led to the design of skyscrapers that gave the amazing profile of Chicago and New York as we see it today.
This book is a must for architects, architectural historians, preservationist!
11 people found this helpful
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