28 Church St

The Guaranty Building — originally known as the Prudential Building — stands as one of the most significant commercial structures in American architectural history. Designed by the legendary partnership of Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler and completed in 1896, it represents a pivotal moment in the development of the modern skyscraper and is considered among the purest expressions of Sullivan's architectural philosophy.

At thirteen stories, the Guaranty was among the tallest buildings in Buffalo when completed, and it demonstrated Sullivan's famous dictum that "form ever follows function." The building's steel skeleton is expressed honestly on its exterior, with vertical piers rising uninterrupted from base to cornice to emphasize the building's height and structural logic. This approach — treating a tall building as a unified organism rather than a stack of classical floors — was revolutionary.

What makes the Guaranty truly extraordinary is Sullivan's ornamental genius. Every surface not defined by structural necessity is covered in intricate terracotta ornament of Sullivan's own design — flowing, organic patterns inspired by natural forms that seem to grow from the building's surface. The building is covered in a rich reddish-brown terracotta glaze that catches light differently throughout the day.

The building suffered years of neglect in the mid-twentieth century but was rescued through preservation efforts in the 1970s. Today it has been meticulously restored and houses law offices and commercial tenants. The ground floor and lobby, with its spectacular ornamental ironwork and art glass, can be visited and offer one of the great interior architectural experiences in upstate New York.