Architectural historian Keith Eggener looks at the heritage of architect Louis Curtiss (1865-1924), often described as “the Frank Lloyd Wright of Kansas City” and a pioneer of the “curtain wall” design featured in his 1909 Boley Building at 11th and Walnut.

Featuring internal skeletons of steel or concrete and sheathed in lightweight glass, Curtiss’ buildings paved the way for the modern skyscraper.

Eggener is a professor of American Art and Architecture and director of graduate studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia.