The Chicago School of Architecture is a considerable movement in American architecture that emerged in the late 19th century and had a long lasting impact on the built environment of the United States. It is defined by its innovative use of steel-frame building, the birth of the high-rise building, and its influence on modernism. The Chicago School played a vital function in shaping the metropolitan landscape of Chicago and other cities throughout the country. The Early Years: The Increase of Skyscrapers in Chicago The Great Chicago Fire of 1