Chicago : the Birth of a Metropolis (1872-1922)

Organised jointly by the Art Institute of Chicago, the Musée d'Orsay and the Deutsches Architektur Museum in Frankfort, the exhibition opened on the great fire which, in 1871, completely destroyed Chicago. In little time, the city arose from its ashes. Its economic importance, the steady growth of its population forced architects to innovate in order to build quickly and with as little expense as possible, commercial buildings.
The first sky-scrapers soon appeared with the metallic armature of buildings which made the universal fame of the Chicago school.
The exhibition presented architectural drawings, objects and pieces of furniture, paintings, and photographs by personalities who made the glory of Chicago, such as Louis Sullivan, Franck Lloyd Wright or Daniel Burnham.