55 Water Street Building vs 28 State Street Building

Comparing the 55 Water Street Building and the 28 State Street Building is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (New York, NY and Boston, MA), both were designed by Emery Roth & Sons and finished within within 2 years of each other. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

The 55 Water Street Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 686ft (209m) with 53 floors above ground, while the 28 State Street Building reaches 499ft (152m) with 40 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.

The 55 Water Street Building was designed in the International Style style, while the 28 State Street Building reflects the principles of Modern.

Both towers were built when their respective styles were already past their prime. This makes them feel more like late continuations rather than groundbreaking statements, showing how architectural traditions can linger even as tastes shift.

Both the 55 Water Street Building and the 28 State Street Building 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 towers provide significant parking capacity, with 55 Water Street Building offering 600 spaces and the 28 State Street Building offering 120.

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 55 Water Street Building uses a Curtain Wall facade, while the 28 State Street Building uses a Modular facade.

A Curtain Wall facade like the one seen in the 55 Water Street Building uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure, while a modular facade like the one seen in the 28 State Street Building employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows.