1201 North Market Street Building vs Trump International Hotel and Tower

1201 North Market Street Building
Trump International Hotel and Tower

Comparing the 1201 North Market Street Building and the Trump International Hotel and Tower is compelling because they were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, yet they stand in different cities (Wilmington, DE and Chicago, IL), and were completed over two decades apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places in different periods of time.

Height
110m
Floors
23

Height & Size

Height
360m
Floors
92

The Trump International Hotel and Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 1181ft (360m) with 92 floors above ground, while the 1201 North Market Street Building reaches 361ft (110m) with 23 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
Modern

Architectural Style

Style
Contemporary

The 1201 North Market Street Building was designed in the Modern style, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower reflects the principles of Contemporary.

The 1201 North Market Street Building represents a late expression of the Modern, a style already in decline in 1988 when it was completed. By contrast, the Trump International Hotel and Tower followed the then mainstream Contemporary, embodying the dominant architectural direction of its time.

With 21 years between them, the comparison also reflects how quickly architectural priorities can shift from one dominant language to another.

Main use
Commercial

Uses

Main use
Mixed

The Trump International Hotel and Tower follows a mixed-use model, combining hotel, residential and commercial. In contrast, the 1201 North Market Street Building has remained primarily commercial.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower incorporates a 5-star hotel with 339 rooms. More information is available at the official website.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower offers 486 residential units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with 1201 North Market Street Building offering 475 spaces and the Trump International Hotel and Tower offering 960.

Structure
Framed Tube In Tube
Facade
Curtain Wall

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade
Curtain Wall

The two towers rely on different structural systems, reflecting distinct engineering strategies.

The 1201 North Market Street Building uses a Framed Tube In Tube structural system, which combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower uses a Frame system, that relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight.

Yet, when it comes to their facade, they both employed the same solution, a Curtain Wall facade.

A curtain wall is a non-load-bearing facade hung from the structural frame. It is anchored to floor slabs and transfers only its own weight and wind loads, allowing for sleek, glassy exteriors.

1201 North Market Street Building Trump International Hotel and Tower
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
1988 Year Completed 2009
Modern Architectural Style Contemporary
Commercial Current Use Mixed
23 Floors Above Ground 92
4 Floors Below Ground 5
110 m Height (m) 360 m
12 Number of Elevators 27
Framed Tube In Tube Structure Type Frame
Steel Vertical Structure Material Reinforced Concrete
Concrete And Steel Horizontal Structure Material Reinforced Concrete
No Facade Structural? No
Glass Main Facade Material Glass And Stainless Steel Panels
Turner Construction Company Main Contractor Bovis Lend Lease
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Structural Engineer William F. Baker
DE State IL
Wilmington City Chicago
1201 North Market Street Address 401 N. Wabash Ave.