1001 Woodward vs 211 West Fort Street

1001 Woodward
211 West Fort Street

Comparing the 1001 Woodward and the 211 West Fort Street is interesting because they both stand in Detroit, MI, and were completed within 2 years of each other, but they were designed by different architects.

This offers a unique glimpse at how rival designers approached projects in the same city during the same era.

Height
103m
Floors
23

Height & Size

Height
112m
Floors
27

The 211 West Fort Street is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 367ft (112m) with 27 floors above ground, while the 1001 Woodward reaches 338ft (103m) 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
International Style

Architectural Style

Style
International Style

Both the 1001 Woodward and the 211 West Fort Street 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 both Smith, Hinchman & Grylls and Harley, Ellington, Cowin & Stirton followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Main use
Commercial

Uses

Main use
Commercial

Both the 1001 Woodward and the 211 West Fort 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.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Window Wall

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.

1001 Woodward 211 West Fort Street
Smith, Hinchman & Grylls Architect Harley, Ellington, Cowin & Stirton
1963 Construction Started 1961
1965 Year Completed 1963
International Style Architectural Style International Style
Commercial Current Use Commercial
23 Floors Above Ground 27
2 Floors Below Ground 2
103 m Height (m) 112 m
29,729 m² Usable Area (m²) 40,751 m²
Frame Structure Type Frame
Concrete Horizontal Structure Material Concrete
Glass, Granite Main Facade Material Glass, Concrete
MI State MI
Detroit City Detroit
1001 Woodward Avenue Address 211 West Fort Street