Town Apartments vs 1001 Woodward

Comparing the Town Apartments and the 1001 Woodward is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in Detroit, MI, and were both designed by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls. However, they were completed more than 12 years apart.

This offers a unique perspective on how the architect's style and the city's architecture evolved over time.

The 1001 Woodward is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 338ft (103m) with 23 floors above ground, while the Town Apartments reaches 194ft (59m) with 15 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.

The Town Apartments was designed in the Art Deco style, while the 1001 Woodward reflects the principles of International Style.

The Town Apartments represents a late expression of the Art Deco, a style already in decline in 1953 when it was completed. By contrast, the 1001 Woodward followed the then mainstream International Style, embodying the dominant architectural direction of its time.

The Town Apartments is primarily residential, while the 1001 Woodward is primarily commercial.

The Town Apartments offers 250 residential units.

The Town Apartments also provides 25 parking spaces.

Both towers share the same structural solution, a Frame 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.

However, when it comes to the facade, both buildings use different approaches. The Town Apartments uses a Masonry facade, while the 1001 Woodward uses a Window Wall facade.

A Masonry facade like the one seen in the Town Apartments features a heavy masonry skin that gives it a more clasical look, while a window-wall facade like the one seen in the 1001 Woodward uses panels fitted between floor slabs, leaving slab edges visible.