Burnham and Root

A year later they established their own architecture office and began work by building private residences for the wealthy elite of Chicago's meat industry.

Louis Sullivan, the famous architect, called Burnham "a colossal merchandiser" obsessed with building the biggest and costliest structures of the city.

As commissions multiplied, Burnham and Root had the opportunity to experiment and refine their style to create an entirely new aesthetic that was free of historical or European influences.

In 1890 Chicago won the competition to host the (1892) World’s Columbian Exposition, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America.

Daniel Burnham, despite only having practical experience and no formal training in the field of architecture, was then given the responsibility to finish coordinating the fair.

The Exposition was home to many innovations, among which the first Ferris wheel, which was the result of a challenge set out by Burnham to design "a structure of comparable ingenuity and novelty.

The projects begun by Root were completed, including the Masonic Temple in 1892, which was for a short period the tallest building in the world at 22 stories.