155 Harbor Condominium vs The Bell Building

Comparing the 155 Harbor Condominium and the The Bell Building is interesting because they both rise in Chicago, IL, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Holabird & Root, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than 9 years 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 155 Harbor Condominium is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 551ft (168m) with 54 floors above ground, while the The Bell Building reaches 427ft (130m) with 31 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 The Bell Building 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.

The 155 Harbor Condominium is primarily residential, while the The Bell Building is primarily .

Originally, the The Bell Building was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to . The 155 Harbor Condominium by contrast has maintained its original role.

The 155 Harbor Condominium offers 742 residential units.

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

The 155 Harbor Condominium uses a Frame structural system, which relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight, while the The Bell Building uses a Framed Tube In Tube system, that combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns.

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.