140 Broadway vs Lever House

Comparing the 140 Broadway and the Lever House is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in New York, NY, and were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. However, they were completed more than 15 years apart.

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

The 140 Broadway is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 689ft (210m) with 52 floors above ground, while the Lever House reaches 307ft (93.57m) with 21 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 140 Broadway and the Lever House 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 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

Both the 140 Broadway and the Lever House were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Both the 140 Broadway and the Lever House 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 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.