The first architect may have lived thousands of years before recorded history. Before tools were invented, a human being most likely planned and built a structure from whatever materials were available. We may never know the identity of the first architect, but we do know who the first to be immortalized was.
Historians identify Imhotep, who lived around 2600 BC, as the first architect known to history. He is credited with inventing stone-dressed building and using columns in architecture. Imhotep served the Egyptian pharaoh, Djoser. He designed the first Egyptian pyramid complex, which inspired the later, more extravagant pyramids.
Ictinus and Callicrates worked together to construct the Parthenon of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. It is an architectural wonder and took nine years to complete. It is considered the most influential building of all time and the most beautiful monument of human civilization. Ictinus designed the architecture, and Callicrates supervised its construction. Both were Athenians active in the 5th century BC. Mathematical analysis of the Parthenon reveals that Ictinus and Callicrates were also philosophers.
Hadrian, born in A.D. 76, was a Roman emperor during the Roman Empire’s golden age. He considered himself a visionary leader, military strategist, poet, artist, and architect. Hadrian propelled design and engineering to new heights by building the Pantheon and Hadrian’s Wall in Northern Britain.
Abbot Suger, (1081-1151), was a French statesman and historian. He was one of the earliest patrons of Gothic architecture and is credited with popularizing the style.
Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) was an Italian architect, designer, and sculptor. He is considered to be a founding father of the Italian Renaissance. His principal contribution was his innovative construction of the massive dome for Florence’s cathedral.
Christopher Wren (1632-1723) was an English classical architect. He was a designer, astronomer, and geometer, and the greatest English architect of his time. Wren designed 53 London churches, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, as well as countless secular buildings. His designs shape the lives of millions of Londoners who visit them every day.
Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841) was a Prussian architect, city planner, and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of Germany’s most prominent architects and designed both neoclassical and Neo-Gothic buildings. He was versatile in classical and romantic styles, and he is credited with designing one of the world’s first museums.
Louis Henry Sullivan, (1856-1924), was an American architect who has been called a “father of skyscrapers” and “father of modernism.” He was an influential Chicago School architect, a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an inspiration for the Prairie School. Sullivan, Wright, and Henry Hobson Richardson are considered the “recognized trinity of American architecture.” He is credited with the phrase “form follows function,” though he attributed the concept to the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius.
Frank Lloyd Wright, (1867-1959), was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He is perhaps the most well-known name in architecture. Wright designed more than 12,000 structures over a 70-year creative period. He believed in designing in harmony with humanity and the environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture. This philosophy was exemplified in his design, Fallingwater (1935), which has been called “the best all-time work of American architecture.” Wright played a key role in twentieth-century architectural movements. He influenced architects worldwide through his works and hundreds of apprentices. Wright pioneered what became known as the Prairie School movement in architecture. He designed original and innovative offices, churches, schools, skyscrapers, hotels, museums, and other commercial projects. Wright also designed interior elements, including leaded glass windows, floors, furniture, and tableware, that integrated into these structures. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects recognized Wright as “the greatest American architect of all time.”
You have now learned a bit about some of the most famous architects in history. Together, these great minds have created incredible designs worldwide. Many of these structures remain intact and undamaged today. Who do you think will go down in history as the next great architect? Who has left an indelible mark on modern architecture? Only time will tell….