155 Harbor Condominium vs 474 North Lake Shore Drive

Comparing the 155 Harbor Condominium and the 474 North Lake Shore Drive is interesting because they both rise in Chicago, IL, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Dubin, Dubin, Black & Moutoussamy, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than a decade apart.

This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of Chicago across time.

Let's take a closer look!

The 474 North Lake Shore Drive is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 581ft (177m) with 61 floors above ground, while the 155 Harbor Condominium reaches 551ft (168m) with 54 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 155 Harbor Condominium and the 474 North Lake Shore Drive were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Modern style.

Both buildings were completed when the Modern style was already past its peak. This makes them feel like late echoes of the movement, more reflective of continuity or nostalgia than of cutting-edge design at the time.

Both the 155 Harbor Condominium and the 474 North Lake Shore Drive 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 155 Harbor Condominium offers 742 apartments, while the 474 North Lake Shore Drive provides 502 units.

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 155 Harbor Condominium uses a Curtain Wall facade, while the 474 North Lake Shore Drive uses a Modular facade.

A Curtain Wall facade like the one seen in the 155 Harbor Condominium uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure, while a modular facade like the one seen in the 474 North Lake Shore Drive employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows.