Guaranty Building - Table of Contents ............Louis Sullivan - Table of Contents
Interior - The Guaranty
Building
(formerly known as the Prudential Building)
28
Church Street, Buffalo, New York
National Historic Landmark
"The historic structure report put together by Jack Randall lists the firm of Healy and Millet as the original firm for the art glass skylights. ... Denise Leone, of Hamilton New York restored the glass during the original restoration in the early 1980's. ... The current project [2008] does not include any work on the art glass proper, but does include work on a new LED lighting system designed by Cline Betteridge and Bernstein, constructed by Nichea and installed by O'Connell Electric" -- Peter T. Flynn, AIA
Office/Conference room (Museum)![]() First floor office features terra cotta-faced columns that are partially enclosed in glass. Column is both outside (above the glass) and inside (below the glass) the office. ... Originally, this was retail space with large plate glass windows. ![]() ![]() Outdoor foliated capital is seen through glass ![]() Terra cotta-faced corner pier and column are partially enclosed in glass. Both are outside (above the glass) and inside (below the glass) the office. |
Church
Street Lobby![]() Elevator ... The original Sprague Gear Driven electric elevators were so bad that they were replaced in 1903 with water hydraulic ones. The current elevators are of course, electrical ... Electroplated bronze elevator doors feature botanical imagery. ... The main motif is a kind of oval pod or seed shape, which Sullivan used to suggest man's potential for spiritual and creative growth. The pod is sometimes superimposed on a rectangle and connected to it with stem-like filaments. It recurs profusely in the interior of the building, in the stairway balustrades, the elevator cages, the letter drops, and the Tiffany-like art glass ceiling. ![]() Front lobby elevator grill above doors reveals machinery. ... Note plant oval pod motif. ... The 1970 remodeling covered this perforated screen by installing a dropped ceiling at the bottom. It was uncovered in the 1982-83 restoration. ![]() Elevator floor indicator on grill ... Note the 13th floor ... Sullivan used 13 in all his buildings. In this building, there are 13 balusters on the staircases ![]() Church Street lobby sconce electric lighting was converted from gas ![]() Staircase with 13 stairs and 13 balusters ![]() Electroplated bronze staircase feature botanical imagery ![]() Bronze plated cast iron ... Balusters from the main stairwell follow a common Sullivan theme, the emerging growth patterns from the seed outward - "nature's method of liberating energy," as Sullivan said in his book, A System of Architectural Ornament ![]() Church Street lobby balusters ... The main motif is a kind of oval pod or seed shape, which Sullivan used to suggest man's potential for spiritual and creative growth. The pod is sometimes superimposed on a rectangle and connected to it with stem-like filaments. It recurs profusely in the interior of the building, in the stairway balustrades, the elevator cages, the letter drops, and the Tiffany-like art glass ceiling. |
Pearl
Street Lobby![]() Pearl Street lobby features spectacular Art Nouveau stained glass skylight with repeating plant pods. ... Stained glass lobby ceiling by Healy/Millet of Chicago. ... Lightwell:
The Pearl Street lobby features a skylight adjacent to the
elevators at the right in the photo. In the original U-shaped building
design, the elevators and the skylight filled the "cutout" section of
the U shape, with offices receiving light from either the outside of
the building or the interior lightwell. The lightwell is about 30'
wide with a depth of about 68'. The lightwell was infilled in the 1980
restoration, adding an additional 1,400 square feet of office space.
The lobby skylight is now artificially backlit (above the
skylight). ... The historic
structure report put together by Jack Randall lists the firm of Healy
and Millet as the original firm for the art glass skylights.
... Denise Leone, of Hamilton New York restored
the glass during the original restoration in the early 1980's.
![]() Stained glass skylight and mosaic wall ![]() Pearl Street lobby features spectacular Art Nouveau skylight with repeating plant pods. ... Skylight pod motif is reminiscent of a giant Tiffany lampshade ![]() Mosaic wall ![]() Church Street lobby mosaic ceiling and wall ![]() Mosaic wall detail highlights the nature motif found throughout the building |