1000 Lake Shore Plaza vs University Apartments

Comparing the 1000 Lake Shore Plaza and the University Apartments is interesting because they both stand in Chicago, IL, and were completed within 3 years of each other, but they were designed by different architects.

This offers a unique glimpse at how rival designers approached projects in the same city during the same era.

The 1000 Lake Shore Plaza is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 591ft (180m) with 55 floors above ground, while the University Apartments reaches 308ft (94m) with 10 floors above ground.

Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.

Both the 1000 Lake Shore Plaza and the University Apartments were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both Sidney Morris Associates and I. M. Pei followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Both the 1000 Lake Shore Plaza and the University Apartments were designed to serve as residential towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

In terms of capacity, the 1000 Lake Shore Plaza offers 138 apartments, while the University Apartments provides 540 units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with 1000 Lake Shore Plaza offering 244 spaces and the University Apartments offering 220.

Both the 1000 Lake Shore Plaza and the University Apartments rely on a Frame structural system.

A frame structure uses a grid of columns and beams to carry the building's loads. This frees the walls from structural duties, allowing for flexible floor plans and larger windows.

They also employ the same type of facade, a Window Wall facade.

A window wall system is installed between floor slabs. It is simpler and faster to build than curtain walls, but exposes slab edges and requires careful detailing to avoid thermal bridges.