by 1 Cylivers
World's First Skyscraper (1885):
Home Insurance Building in Chicago
Considered to be the first skyscraper in the world due to the building's unique architecture and unique weight bearing frame, the Home Insurance Building was built in 1885 in Chicago, Illinois and demolished in 1931 to make way for the Field Building (now the LaSalle National Bank Building).
It was the first building to use structural steel in its frame, but the majority of its structure was composed of cast and wrought iron.
It was the first tall building to be supported, both inside and outside, by a fireproof metal frame.
It had 10 stories and rose to a height of 138 feet (42 m) high. In 1890, two additional floors were built on top of the original 10-story building.
The architect was William LeBaron Jenney, an engineer.
In fact, the building weighed only one-third as much as a stone building would have; city officials were so concerned that they halted construction while they investigated its safety.
The Home Insurance Building is an example of the Chicago School in architecture. The building led to the future in the skyscrapers.
