101 California Street Building vs 190 South LaSalle Street

101 California Street Building
190 South LaSalle Street

Comparing the 101 California Street Building and the 190 South LaSalle Street is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL), both were designed by Johnson/Burgee Architects and finished within within 5 years of each other. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

Height
183m
Floors
48

Height & Size

Height
175m
Floors
40

The 101 California Street Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 600ft (183m) with 48 floors above ground, while the 190 South LaSalle Street reaches 574ft (175m) with 40 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.

Style
Postmodernism

Architectural Style

Style
Postmodernism

Both the 101 California Street Building and the 190 South LaSalle Street were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Postmodernism style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So Johnson/Burgee Architects followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

Main use
Commercial

Uses

Main use
Commercial

Both the 101 California Street Building and the 190 South LaSalle Street were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

The 190 South LaSalle Street also provides 55 parking spaces.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Curtain Wall

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade
Modular

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 101 California Street Building uses a Curtain Wall facade, while the 190 South LaSalle Street uses a Modular facade.

A Curtain Wall facade like the one seen in the 101 California Street Building uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure, while a modular facade like the one seen in the 190 South LaSalle Street employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows.

101 California Street Building 190 South LaSalle Street
Johnson/Burgee Architects Architect Johnson/Burgee Architects
1979 Construction Started 1985
1982 Year Completed 1987
Postmodernism Architectural Style Postmodernism
Commercial Current Use Commercial
48 Floors Above Ground 40
183 m Height (m) 175 m
116,264 m² Usable Area (m²) 74,209 m²
24 Number of Elevators 20
Frame Structure Type Frame
Steel Vertical Structure Material Steel
Concrete Horizontal Structure Material Steel, Concrete
No Facade Structural? No
Hines Interests Limited Partnership Developer The John Buck Company
CBM Engineers Structural Engineer Cohen Barreto Marchertas
CA State IL
San Francisco City Chicago
101 California Street Address 190 South LaSalle Street