The Architect and Urban Planner
Daniel Burnham was an American architect and urban designer. He was a proponent of the Beaux-Arts movement and was known as a successful power broker within the American architectural profession. His career included significant roles in the creation of master plans for several cities, including the Plan of Chicago, as well as plans for Manila, Baguio, and downtown Washington, D.C. He served as the Director of Works for the 1892–93 World's Columbian Exposition, an event colloquially referred to as "The White City."
Burnham's architectural output was diverse, encompassing skyscrapers, city planning, and significant commercial structures. He designed several famous buildings, such as:
Professional Legacy and Contributions
Throughout his career, Burnham was involved in numerous notable projects and commissions. He was a member and the first chairman of the United States Commission of Fine Arts. His work often utilized classical styles, and he was a prominent advocate for the revival of Neo-classical architecture . His firm, D.H. Burnham & Company, was considered the world's largest architectural firm at the time of his death.
His notable commissions included:
Questions & Answers
How can I see every artwork made by Daniel Burnham?
Every work by Daniel Burnham on this website can be browsed from the artist's All Artworks page.
Where can I see Daniel Burnham's artworks in chronological order?
A timeline of Daniel Burnham 's works exists: the artist's Artwork Timeline page orders the artworks by creation date.
What aliases or alternate names does Daniel Burnham have?
Daniel Burnham is also known as Daniel Hudson Burnham, D. H. Burnham, Daniel H. Burnham, دانيال بورنهام, ダニエル・バーナム.
By the ArtsDot.com Editorial Team
Updated Oct. 14, 2026
