345 California Center vs Trump International Hotel and Tower

Comparing the 345 California Center and the Trump International Hotel and Tower is compelling because they were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, yet they stand in different cities (San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL), and were completed over two decades apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places in different periods of time.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 1181ft (360m) with 92 floors above ground, while the 345 California Center reaches 620ft (189m) with 48 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 345 California Center was designed in the Postmodernism style, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower reflects the principles of Contemporary.

At the time of their completion, both styles were well established. This makes the comparison especially interesting, because both buildings represent a dominant aesthetic at a particular point in time.

Built 23 years apart (1986 vs 2009), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

Both towers follow a mixed-use program. The 345 California Center combines commercial and hotel, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower integrates hotel, residential and commercial. Notably, both include commercial and hotel as part of their program.

Both towers incorporate hotels as part of their program. The 345 California Center features a 5-star hotel with 155 rooms, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower includes a 5-star hotel with 339 rooms. For more details, see the official website of the 345 California Center. You can also visit the official website of the Trump International Hotel and Tower.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower offers 486 residential units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with 345 California Center offering 180 spaces and the Trump International Hotel and Tower offering 960.

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 345 California Center uses a Window Wall facade, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower uses a Curtain Wall facade.

A Window Wall facade like the one seen in the 345 California Center uses panels fitted between floor slabs, leaving slab edges visible, while a curtain-wall facade like the one seen in the Trump International Hotel and Tower uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure.