The Old versus the New.

By the 1910s the two major tendencies in twentieth-century architecture were already evident. One leaned toward the past, reviving styles from bygone eras, often in hopes of reinvigorating the faith and sense of community of older generations that twentiethcentury architects feared were gone forever. This inclination was embodied in the work of architects trained at or influenced by the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and in the neo-Gothic revival. The other looked toward the future, demanding that a new architectural vernacular be developed to meet the needs of technologically advanced, fast-paced, and scientifically enlightened modern life. Students of the Chicago school of urban architecture — and others who demanded that form follow function — were the chief proponents of this movement. Architects following both trends benefited from the vast expansion of the American economy — captains of industry...